Donald Stuart (novelist)
Encyclopedia
Donald Stuart was an Australian novelist whose works include stories with Aboriginal
backgrounds, and a series recounting his experience as a POW in Burma in World War II
.
, Western Australia
and apart from the time spent as a POW during WWII, he lived all his life in that state. Stuart left home at age 14 and began a career as a swagman
, that is an itinerant who wandered the roads seeking casual work. He travelled through much of northern Western Australia finding work on cattle stations and it was during these years that he came into close contact with Aborigines.
as a 2/3rd Machine Gunner and then in Java
, Indonesia
, where he was captured by the Japanese. He then spent three and a half years as a POW. Along with Weary Dunlop, he was sent to work on the Burma Railway, a purgatory from which many did not return. In Stuart’s own words:
“We built a railway from near Bangkok to near Rangoon—thousands of us POWs starved, scourged, racked with malaria, dysentery, beri-beri, pellagra
and stinking tropical ulcers that ate a leg to the bone.”
“Donald Stuart, probably comes the closest of any White Australian writer during this period to a sensitive depiction of the Aboriginal people as Aboriginal human beings.”
Yandy was followed by a series of novels featuring aborigines as main characters. In Ilbarana and Malloonkai, Stuart attempts to view the world from the aboriginal point of view, making him one of the few Australian writers, along with anthropologists such as T.G.H. Strehlow, Charles Pearcy Mountford, Ronald Berndt
and Catherine Berndt
, to even attempt to come close to a personal knowledge of the aborigines.
In 1974, Stuart published the first book in what would become the series known as ‘The Conjuror’s Years.’ Prince of My Country recounts the remarkable story of an aboriginal station owner who makes a success of running his business, against all odds. This was set at a time when aborigines did not even have the vote, and were little known for their skill as entrepreneurs. The next book is also pre-war, with the last four books mainly dealing with the war years, and especially the time spent on the Burma-Thailand railroad.
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
backgrounds, and a series recounting his experience as a POW in Burma in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early career
Donald Robert Stuart was born in CottesloeCottesloe, Western Australia
-Transport:Cottesloe is served by Swanbourne, Grant Street, Cottesloe, Mosman Park and Victoria Street railway stations on the Fremantle line. Various bus routes along Stirling Highway and through the suburb's western and eastern sections link Cottesloe to Perth and Fremantle. All services are...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and apart from the time spent as a POW during WWII, he lived all his life in that state. Stuart left home at age 14 and began a career as a swagman
Swagman
A swagman is an old Australian and New Zealand term describing an underclass of transient temporary workers, who travelled by foot from farm to farm carrying the traditional swag...
, that is an itinerant who wandered the roads seeking casual work. He travelled through much of northern Western Australia finding work on cattle stations and it was during these years that he came into close contact with Aborigines.
The war years
Donald Stuart volunteered at the start of WWII for the 2nd AIF. He saw service in the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
as a 2/3rd Machine Gunner and then in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, where he was captured by the Japanese. He then spent three and a half years as a POW. Along with Weary Dunlop, he was sent to work on the Burma Railway, a purgatory from which many did not return. In Stuart’s own words:
“We built a railway from near Bangkok to near Rangoon—thousands of us POWs starved, scourged, racked with malaria, dysentery, beri-beri, pellagra
Pellagra
Pellagra is a vitamin deficiency disease most commonly caused by a chronic lack of niacin in the diet. It can be caused by decreased intake of niacin or tryptophan, and possibly by excessive intake of leucine. It may also result from alterations in protein metabolism in disorders such as carcinoid...
and stinking tropical ulcers that ate a leg to the bone.”
Writing career
Stuart’s first novel, Yandy, was published to critical acclaim in 1959. It became a modest best seller and a book that was studied at the high school level in some Australian school systems. The events take place against the background of the 1946 aboriginal stockmen’s strike in the Pilbara. The book was to set the tone for others that followed, causing literary critic Professor Adam Shoemaker to write:“Donald Stuart, probably comes the closest of any White Australian writer during this period to a sensitive depiction of the Aboriginal people as Aboriginal human beings.”
Yandy was followed by a series of novels featuring aborigines as main characters. In Ilbarana and Malloonkai, Stuart attempts to view the world from the aboriginal point of view, making him one of the few Australian writers, along with anthropologists such as T.G.H. Strehlow, Charles Pearcy Mountford, Ronald Berndt
Ronald Berndt
Ronald Murray Berndt was an Australian anthropologist. With his wife Catherine Berndt, they worked in the Northern Territory, in the Daly River....
and Catherine Berndt
Catherine Berndt
Catherine H. Berndt , born in Auckland, was an Australian anthropologist. She published valuable monographs on Aboriginal Australia, including Changing ceremonies in Northern Australia ....
, to even attempt to come close to a personal knowledge of the aborigines.
In 1974, Stuart published the first book in what would become the series known as ‘The Conjuror’s Years.’ Prince of My Country recounts the remarkable story of an aboriginal station owner who makes a success of running his business, against all odds. This was set at a time when aborigines did not even have the vote, and were little known for their skill as entrepreneurs. The next book is also pre-war, with the last four books mainly dealing with the war years, and especially the time spent on the Burma-Thailand railroad.