William Astley
Encyclopedia
William Astley was an Australia
n short story writer who wrote under the pseudonym
"Price Warung".
Astley was the second son of Captain Thomas Astley, a jeweller, and his wife Mary née Price. He was born in Liverpool
, England
, and was brought to Australia with his family in November 1859. The family settled in Richmond
, a suburb of Melbourne
and William was educated at St Stephen's school and the Melbourne model school.
Astley obtained work in booksellers' shops, and after taking up journalism was editor of the Richmond Guardian for a short period when only 21 years of age. He was subsequently connected with the Echuca Riverine Herald and other Victorian journals, the Launceston Daily Telegraph, the Workman, the Worker (Sydney), the Tumut Independent and the Bathurst Free Press. While at Bathurst, New South Wales
he was secretary of the Bathurst Federal League, which did useful work for federation. He had regular correspondence with Sir Henry Parkes
, Edmund Barton
and George Black
. During the 1880s and 1890s Astley did some excellent free-lance work for The Bulletin
in which four series of his stories of the convict days were published.
The first collection of these, Tales of the Convict System, appeared in 1892; this was followed by Tales of the Early Days (1894), Tales of the Old Regime (1897), Tales of the Isle of Death (1898), and Half-Crown Bob and Tales of the Riverine (1898).
Astley married Louisa Frances Cope of Launceston, Tasmania
on 22 September 1884. He had had a nervous breakdown in 1878, and in his last years there were recurrences of mental trouble. He died at Rookwood Benevolent Asylum, Sydney on 5 October 1911.
Astley was an excellent journalist and short story writer. He had made a study of early Australian history and took great care with his stories. There is a degree of starkness about his work, but his tales are full of human nature and human pity. He must be ranked among the best writers of Australian short stories.
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 short story writer who wrote under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Price Warung".
Astley was the second son of Captain Thomas Astley, a jeweller, and his wife Mary née Price. He was born in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was brought to Australia with his family in November 1859. The family settled in Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, a suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and William was educated at St Stephen's school and the Melbourne model school.
Astley obtained work in booksellers' shops, and after taking up journalism was editor of the Richmond Guardian for a short period when only 21 years of age. He was subsequently connected with the Echuca Riverine Herald and other Victorian journals, the Launceston Daily Telegraph, the Workman, the Worker (Sydney), the Tumut Independent and the Bathurst Free Press. While at Bathurst, New South Wales
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
he was secretary of the Bathurst Federal League, which did useful work for federation. He had regular correspondence with Sir Henry Parkes
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his...
, Edmund Barton
Edmund Barton
Sir Edmund Barton, GCMG, KC , Australian politician and judge, was the first Prime Minister of Australia and a founding justice of the High Court of Australia....
and George Black
George Black
George Black, PC was an administrator and politician in Yukon, Canada. He went to Yukon in 1898 during the Gold Rush and prospected for gold, making a fortune and losing it when his claim was swept away in a flood. He then established a law practice in Dawson City...
. During the 1880s and 1890s Astley did some excellent free-lance work for The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
in which four series of his stories of the convict days were published.
The first collection of these, Tales of the Convict System, appeared in 1892; this was followed by Tales of the Early Days (1894), Tales of the Old Regime (1897), Tales of the Isle of Death (1898), and Half-Crown Bob and Tales of the Riverine (1898).
Astley married Louisa Frances Cope of Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
on 22 September 1884. He had had a nervous breakdown in 1878, and in his last years there were recurrences of mental trouble. He died at Rookwood Benevolent Asylum, Sydney on 5 October 1911.
Astley was an excellent journalist and short story writer. He had made a study of early Australian history and took great care with his stories. There is a degree of starkness about his work, but his tales are full of human nature and human pity. He must be ranked among the best writers of Australian short stories.