Frank Dalby Davison
Frank Dalby Davison was an Australian author born on June 23, 1893, in Melbourne, and he passed away on May 24, 1970. He is known for his novels and short stories that prominently feature the Australian landscape, often highlighting the struggles of both humans and animals against the challenges posed by nature and the harsh conditions of the Australian outback. Davison's notable works include "Man-Shy: A Story of Men and Cattle," published in 1931, which uses the perspective of a heifer to explore themes of freedom and survival in a time marked by the Great Depression. His storytelling often linked animals to the Australian bush, reflecting both rural life and the contrast with urban existence.
In addition to “Man-Shy,” Davison authored other significant titles like "Children of the Dark People," a retelling of an Aboriginal folktale emphasizing conservation, and "The Wells of Beersheba," which honors the horses of the Australian Light Horse in World War I. While many of his works celebrate the outback, he also ventured into urban narratives, as seen in "The White Thorntree," which examines societal constraints on personal desires. Throughout his career, Davison’s writing is noted for its social and political commentary, alongside a vivid sense of place that brings to life the daily realities of Australian rural and urban settings.
Subject Terms
Frank Dalby Davison
Australian novelist and short fiction writer.
- Born: June 23, 1893
- Birthplace: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Died: May 24, 1970
- Place of death: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Biography
Frank Dalby Davison was born on June 23, 1893, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He died in Melbourne on May 24, 1970. An author of novels and short stories, Davison used his Australian heritage as the background for all his writing. Whether writing about humans or animals, the main characters in most of his stories struggled against nature and the harsh circumstances of the Australian outback.
In 1931 Davison wrote a symbolic animal novel, Man-Shy: A Story of Men and Cattle, using the point of view of a heifer who is born on the farm but escapes and gains acceptance in the herd of wild scrub cattle. When the water holes are fenced, keeping the wild animals out, the herd finds a way to survive. The world was facing the Depression, and Man-Shy represented the spirit of battling the odds and evoked the joy of freedom.
The novel also linked animals to the bush country. Otherwise known as the Outback, the term encompasses both desert and farm, wide plains and mountain ranges, the isolated homestead and the small town. Note only does it imply rural countryside, it embraces idea of opposition of urban life. The novel’s presentation of the Outback satisfied the British penchant for the "exotic" aspects of Australia, which was necessary because most titles were published in London at the time.
Though the Great Depression curbed the demand for books, two of Davison’s novels were among the more-popular Australian titles. These included Man-Shy and Children of the Dark People: An Australian Folk Tale, which retells an Aboriginal folktale in which an evil witch doctor causes two children to become lost in the bush. The children are eventually saved by the spirits of nature, known as gullies. The novel presented clear themes in favor of conservation of the natural landscape.
The Wells of Beersheba, another novel that focused on animals, stirred up national pride and paid tribute to the horses that served with the Australian Light Horse regiments in World War I. In contrast, The White Thorntree focuses on four married couples and covers two decades in two volumes. Set in the city, it describes the changing friendships, secret affairs, and the frustration the characters feel at being unable to act upon desires due to society’s constraints. Unlike previous novels, this story did not provide the flavor of Australia that readers familiar with Davison’s work expected. Davison became famous for his novels focusing on the outback, but he is also remembered for the political and social commentary woven into his works and voiced throughout his life. In his most well-known works, both human and animal characters are pitted against nature and succeed despite the odds, often symbolically reflecting social concerns. When writing about nature, Davison created a strong sense of place, providing vivid details about the daily routines and conditions of Australian farm stations and ranches.
Author Works
Long Fiction:
Man-Shy: A Story of Men and Cattle, 1931 (also known as Red Heifer)
Forever Morning, 1931
The Wells of Beersheba, 1933
Blue Coast Caravan, 1935
Children of the Dark People: An Australian Folk Tale, 1937
Dusty: A Novel, 1946
The White Thorntree, 1968
Short Fiction:
The Wasteland, 1935
The Woman at the Mill, 1940
The Road to Yesterday, 1964
Nonfiction:
Caribbean Interlude, 1936
While Freedom Lives, 1938
Australia and Russia, 1941
Bibliography
Darby, Robert. "Davison, Frank Dalby (1893–1970)." Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, 1993. adb.anu.edu.au/biography/davison-frank-dalby-9923/text17571. Accessed 23 June 2017. Provides a biographic overview on Davison, including discussion of his major works and themes.
Darby, Robert. While Freedom Lives: Political Preoccupations in the Writing of Marjorie Barnard and Frank Dalby Davison, 1935–1947. U of New South Wales, 1989. Discusses Davison's political leanings and commentary in his works.
Dow, Hume. Frank Dalby Davison. Oxford UP, 1971. A biography of Davison published not long after his death.
Samuels, Selina. Australian Writers, 1915–1950. Gale, 2002. Includes a profile of Dalby as an important Australian writer of his day.
Webster, Owen. The Outward Journey. Australia National UP, 1978. The first volume of an unfinished biography of Davison, Webster considered this work a nonfiction novel for its wide-ranging exploration of Dalby's life combined with social history and literary criticism.