Robert Macklin
Encyclopedia
Robert Victor Macklin is an Australia
n author
and journalist
.
Macklin was born in 1941 and began his writing career for the Brisbane Courier Mail, later moving to The Age
in Melbourne and then The Canberra Times
in Canberra. In 1967 he became press secretary to Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen
shortly before the death of Harold Holt
when McEwen briefly became Prime Minister. In 1974 while working in the Philippines at the Asian Development Bank
he began writing both fiction and non-fiction books, beginning with the novel The Queenslander. Awarded a Commonwealth Writer’s Fellowship he returned to Australia in 1975 and wrote The Paper Castle (1978) and Juryman (1980), adapted by MGM to the film, Storyville
(1994) starring James Spader
and Jason Robards
.
His non-fiction work includes 100 Great Australians, The Secret Life of Jesus, Jacka VC – Australian Hero, Fire in the Blood – The epic tale of Frank Gardiner and Australia’s other bushrangers, Bravest – How Some of Australia’s Greatest War Heroes Won Their Medals, the memoir War Babies, and Kevin Rudd
: The Biography.
With Peter Thompson he co-authored The Battle of Brisbane, The Man Who Died Twice – the life and adventures of Morrison of Peking (re-issued as MORRISON OF CHINA), Kill The Tiger, Keep off the Skyline and The Big Fella – the rise and rise of BHP Billiton
.
He is a graduate of the screen writing course of the Australian Film Television and Radio School
and has written and directed documentary films in 32 countries of Asia and the South Pacific. With producer Andrew Pike he has written the screenplay Barefoot on Australia’s only Chinese bushranger, Sam Poo.
Married to Wendy Macklin, he has two sons, Rob and Ben and currently lives in Canberra.
With Peter Thompson
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Macklin was born in 1941 and began his writing career for the Brisbane Courier Mail, later moving to 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...
in Melbourne and then The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times newspaper was founded in 1926 in Canberra, Australia by Arthur Shakespeare.It was the second paper to be printed in the city, the first being The Federal Capital Pioneer. The paper was sold to the Fairfax group in the 1960s by Arthur Shakespeare on the condition that it continue...
in Canberra. In 1967 he became press secretary to Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen
John McEwen
Sir John "Black Jack" McEwen, GCMG, CH , was an Australian politician and the 18th Prime Minister of Australia...
shortly before the death of Harold Holt
Harold Holt
Harold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
when McEwen briefly became Prime Minister. In 1974 while working in the Philippines at the Asian Development Bank
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...
he began writing both fiction and non-fiction books, beginning with the novel The Queenslander. Awarded a Commonwealth Writer’s Fellowship he returned to Australia in 1975 and wrote The Paper Castle (1978) and Juryman (1980), adapted by MGM to the film, Storyville
Storyville
Storyville was the red-light district of New Orleans, Louisiana, from 1897 through 1917. Locals usually simply referred to the area as The District.-History:...
(1994) starring James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
and Jason Robards
Jason Robards
Jason Nelson Robards, Jr. was an American actor on stage, and in film and television, and a winner of the Tony Award , two Academy Awards and the Emmy Award...
.
His non-fiction work includes 100 Great Australians, The Secret Life of Jesus, Jacka VC – Australian Hero, Fire in the Blood – The epic tale of Frank Gardiner and Australia’s other bushrangers, Bravest – How Some of Australia’s Greatest War Heroes Won Their Medals, the memoir War Babies, and Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
: The Biography.
With Peter Thompson he co-authored The Battle of Brisbane, The Man Who Died Twice – the life and adventures of Morrison of Peking (re-issued as MORRISON OF CHINA), Kill The Tiger, Keep off the Skyline and The Big Fella – the rise and rise of BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
.
He is a graduate of the screen writing course of the Australian Film Television and Radio School
Australian Film Television and Radio School
The Australian Film, Television and Radio School is the Australian national centre for professional education and advanced training in film, television, radio and digital media. The School is an Australian Commonwealth government statutory authority...
and has written and directed documentary films in 32 countries of Asia and the South Pacific. With producer Andrew Pike he has written the screenplay Barefoot on Australia’s only Chinese bushranger, Sam Poo.
Married to Wendy Macklin, he has two sons, Rob and Ben and currently lives in Canberra.
Works
- The Queenslander
- The Paper Castle
- 100 Great Australians
- Juryman
- The Secret Life of Jesus, Pan Books, Sydney, ISBN 0 330 27191-1
- Jacka VC: Australian Hero
- Kevin Rudd - the biography
- Bravest: How Some of Australia's Greatest War Heroes Won Their Medals
- Fire in the Blood: The Epic Tale of Frank Gardiner and Australia's Other Bushrangers
With Peter Thompson
- The Battle of Brisbane
- The Man Who Died Twice - the life and adventures of Morrison of Peking
- Kill the Tiger
- Keep off the Skyline
- The Big Fella - the rise and rise of BHP Billiton