Dorothy Hewett
Dorothy Coade Hewett (1923-2002) was an influential Australian writer, poet, and playwright, known for her exploration of gender roles, social issues, and working-class experiences through her literary works. Born in Perth, Western Australia, she pursued higher education at the University of Western Australia, earning a bachelor's degree and subsequently a master's degree. Hewett's early career included journalism, mill work, and advertising, but her passion for writing led her to become a prominent literary figure.
Her first novel, *Bobbin Up*, reflects her experiences in the textile industry and intertwines themes of feminism and communism, which she later distanced herself from after the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. She published several poetry collections, including *Windmill Country* and *Rapunzel in Suburbia*, that addressed various topics, from regionalism to politics. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, she gained acclaim for her plays, such as *The Chapel Perilous*, which often featured strong female protagonists navigating societal expectations.
Hewett received numerous awards for her contributions to literature, including several poetry prizes and recognition as a member of the Order of Australia. Her legacy endures through her insightful commentary on the complexities of gender and societal roles in Australia.
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Subject Terms
Dorothy Hewett
- Born: May 21, 1923
- Birthplace: Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Died: August 25, 2002
- Place of death: Springwood, New South Wales, Australia
Biography
Dorothy Coade Hewett was born May 21, 1923, in Perth, Western Australia, to Arthur Thomas and Irene (Coade) Hewitt. The daughter of a farmer, Hewett attended Perth College, University of Western Australia, from 1941 to 1942 and 1959 to 1963. She received her bachelor’s degree in 1961, followed by her M.A. in 1963. In 1944, she married Lloyd Davies and had one son. The couple divorced in 1949. She lived with Les Flood and had three sons, Joe, Michael, and Tom Flood. In 1960, Hewett married writer Merv Lilley, and they had two daughters, Katherine and Rozanna.
Hewett worked as a journalist in Perth from 1945 to 1949, at which point she took a job as a mill worker from 1950 to 1952. From 1956 to 1958, she worked as a copywriter in an advertising agency. In 1964, Hewett was hired as the senior tutor in English at the University of Western Australia, and continued to teach until 1973. During the 1970’s, she was the writer-in-residence at many universities including Monash University, the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, and Griffith University, Queensland.
Successful in her career, Hewett’s true calling was to write her own fiction and poetry, which she did while working and raising her family. A former communist, Hewett’s first novel, Bobbin Up, is the story of a textile mill worker who rallies her fellow employees to organize under the communist banner, creating a balance of feminism and working-class fiction. Her early poetry collections, Windmill Country, Rapunzel in Suburbia, and Greenhouse, cover topics ranging from regionalism and ancestor worship, to fantasy and feminism, to academia and politics. Alice in Wormland centers on Alice, a strong female protagonist struggling with “political beliefs fought for and then lost.” Hewitt herself had become disenchanted with the communism and left the party after the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Hewitt gained notoriety and acclaim for her plays during the 1970’s and 1980’s, including The Chapel Perilous and The Tatty Hollow Story. Like her novels and poetry, much of her dramatic themes and subject matter are concerned with strong female protagonists and the burdens societal expectations places upon them. Hewett died August 25, 2002 in Springwood, Australia, of breast cancer.
Hewett’s numerous awards consist of the Poetry Prizes, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1945, 1965; Australian Writer’s Guild Awards, 1974, 1982; International Women’s Year grant, 1976; member, Order of Austarlia, 1986; Grace Levin Prize for poetry, 1988; Mattara Butterfly Books Prize, 1991; Nettie Palmer Prize for nonfiction, 1991; Australian Creative Fellowship, 1993; Poetry Award, National Book Council Australia, 1994; Western Premier’s Award, 1994, 1996; D.H. Litt., University of Western Australia, 1995; Christopher Brennan Award, 1996; and the Lifetime Emeritus grant, Australian Council, 1997.
Dorothy Coade Hewett consistently wrote of the gender roles and responsibilties of women and men in Australia, and how those roles were affected by society and politics.