Robert Drewe
Encyclopedia
Robert Duncan Drewe is an Australian journalist, novelist and short story writer.
, Western Australia at the age of six. He was educated at Hale School
, and in his final year was appointed School Captain. He stayed in Perth and had a job as a junior reporter with The West Australian
from his late teens until his early twenties, when he got a job with The Age
and moved back to Melbourne. He went on to be literary editor at The Australian
before he turned to writing fiction.
He has twice been a winner of Walkley Awards
for excellence in journalism.
In around 2005, Drewe moved to the far north New South Wales
coast with his wife, Candace Baker, and their two children, partly to get "more writing done".
was adapted for the cinema as Ned Kelly
in 2003.
Drewe's collected manuscripts are held in the Scholars' Centre at the University of Western Australia Library
.
television miniseries. The name, shark net
is a metaphor for the modus operandi
of a character in the story, the serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke
, whom Drewe met in his childhood and can also be interpreted to symbolise a false sense of security.
The novel charts Drewe's life from his earliest memories of Melbourne to his childhood in Perth, education at Hale School and his relationship with his father who was a senior manager in the Dunlop
rubber company. It includes growing up and coming-of-age themes and also themes to do with Eric Cooke, who was a Dunlop employee. Drewe fictionalises chapters of The Shark Net to do with Cooke, based upon his interviews with Cooke's family and his own experiences while reporting at his trial for The West Australian.
The novel is currently used as a study text for the subject of English in schools across the states of New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
Biography
Drewe was born in Melbourne, but moved with his family to PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia at the age of six. He was educated at Hale School
Hale School
Hale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
, and in his final year was appointed School Captain. He stayed in Perth and had a job as a junior reporter with The West Australian
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
from his late teens until his early twenties, when he got a job with The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
and moved back to Melbourne. He went on to be literary editor at The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
before he turned to writing fiction.
He has twice been a winner of Walkley Awards
Walkley Awards
The annual Walkley Awards, under the administration of the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. Finalists are chosen by an independent board of eminent journalists and photographers. The awards cover all media including...
for excellence in journalism.
In around 2005, Drewe moved to the far north New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
coast with his wife, Candace Baker, and their two children, partly to get "more writing done".
Works
Drewe has published six novels, four collections of short stories, and two works of non-fiction. He has also edited five collections of short stories and prose. His novel Our SunshineOur Sunshine
Our Sunshine is a 1991 novel based on the life of Ned Kelly, a 19th-century Irish-Australian bushranger. The novel was written by Robert Drewe and was the basis for the 2003 film Ned Kelly.-First edition:...
was adapted for the cinema as Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly (2003 film)
Ned Kelly is an Australian drama film directed by Gregor Jordan. The film portrays the life of Ned Kelly — a legendary bushranger in northeast Victoria. Ned Kelly, his brother Dan, and two other men — Steve Hart and Joe Byrne — formed a gang of Irish Australians in response to Irish and...
in 2003.
Drewe's collected manuscripts are held in the Scholars' Centre at the University of Western Australia Library
University of Western Australia Library
The University of Western Australia Library is the oldest and largest university library in Western Australia, with a budget of more than A$16 million and a collection of about 1.5 million volumes and 55,000 current serial titles. Its public services include seven different subject libraries and...
.
The Shark Net
The Shark Net is a semi autobiographical/semi fictional account of Drewe's Childhood and adolescence and is best described as a memoir structured as a novel. It was reproduced as an ABCAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
television miniseries. The name, shark net
Shark net
A shark net is a submerged net placed around beaches to reduce shark attacks on swimmers.Shark nets do not offer complete protection but work on the principle of "fewer sharks, fewer attacks". They reduce occurrence via shark mortality. Reducing the local shark populations is believed to reduce the...
is a metaphor for the modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
of a character in the story, the serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke
Eric Edgar Cooke
Eric Edgar Cooke nicknamed The Night Caller was an Australian serial killer. From 1959 to 1963, he terrorised the city of Perth, Western Australia, by committing 22 violent crimes, eight of which resulted in deaths....
, whom Drewe met in his childhood and can also be interpreted to symbolise a false sense of security.
The novel charts Drewe's life from his earliest memories of Melbourne to his childhood in Perth, education at Hale School and his relationship with his father who was a senior manager in the Dunlop
Dunlop Rubber
Dunlop Rubber was a company based in the United Kingdom which manufactured tyres and other rubber products for most of the 20th century. It was acquired by BTR plc in 1985. Since then, ownership of the Dunlop trade-names has been fragmented.-Early history:...
rubber company. It includes growing up and coming-of-age themes and also themes to do with Eric Cooke, who was a Dunlop employee. Drewe fictionalises chapters of The Shark Net to do with Cooke, based upon his interviews with Cooke's family and his own experiences while reporting at his trial for The West Australian.
The novel is currently used as a study text for the subject of English in schools across the states of New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
Grace
Grace is Drewe's novel about the start of the 21st century and the things that he is "passionately interested in ... relationships, politics, the environment, human rights ... and things that I believe are wrong and are changing the face of the Australia we used to respect". It was inspired, he said, by his anger at "our appalling treatment of asylum seekers, and those hapless illegal fishermen in flimsy boats". It has been described as part action thriller, part road movie.Novels
- The Savage Crows (1976)
- A Cry in the Jungle Bar (1979)
- Fortune (1986)
- Our SunshineOur SunshineOur Sunshine is a 1991 novel based on the life of Ned Kelly, a 19th-century Irish-Australian bushranger. The novel was written by Robert Drewe and was the basis for the 2003 film Ned Kelly.-First edition:...
(1991) - The Drowner (1997)
- Grace (2005)
Short story collections
- The Bodysurfers (1983)
- The Bay of Contented Men (1989)
- Radiant Heat (1989)
- The Rip (2008)
As editor
- Bondi (1984)
- The Picador Book of the Beach (1993) (later The Penguin Book of the Beach)
- The Penguin Book of the City (1997)
- Best Australian Stories 2006 (2006)
- Best Australian Stories 2007 (2007)