The Commonwealth Literary Fund (CLF) was an Australian Government initiative founded in 1908 to assist needy Australian writers and their families. It was Federal Australia's first systematic support for the arts. Its scope was later broadened to encompass non-commercial literary projects.

History

In 1908 the Deakin government established the fund, using Britain's Royal Literary Fund as a model, appointed a Committee and allocated £500 for grants for the first year. Its purpose was to provide a modest income for writers who were doing good work but had inadequate means to support themselves, and for widows and dependent families of writers who died destitute. A committee consisting of Sir

Langdon Bonython Langdon may refer to: Places Australia * Langdon, Queensland, a neighbourhood in the Mackay Region Canada * Langdon, Alberta, a hamlet United Kingdom * Langdon, Cornwall, a hamlet * Langdon, Kent, a civil parish * Langdon, Pembrokesh ...

, the Rev. E. H. Sugden, B.A., master of Queen's College,

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, and Professor Mungo McCallum, M.A.,

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of Modern Literature at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

, formed the committee which framed its regulations. In 1939, the Fund, which had increased incrementally to £1500, was trebled by the Menzies government in response to agitation by the

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and ex-Prime Minister

Jim Scullin James Henry Scullin (18 September 1876 – 28 January 1953) was an Australian Labor Party politician and the ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Scullin led Labor to government at the 1929 Australian federal election. He was the first Cathol ...

. The scope of the Fund was broadened to grant

fellowship A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

s to writers, and to provide guarantees against loss to Australian publishers of works approved by the Committee. It also provided assistance to Australian literary magazines ''

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'', '' Overland'', '' Quadrant'' and '' Southerly''. The Committee was replaced by a Board comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and one other, with an Advisory Board comprising leading writers, publishers and academics, which in practice was responsible for all decisions and disbursements. Membership of the Advisory Board was generally confined to older (mostly) male writers of long-established reputations: Grenfell Price,

Vance Palmer Edward Vivian "Vance" Palmer (28 August 1885 – 15 July 1959) was an Australian novelist, dramatist, essayist and critic. Early life Vance Palmer was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, on 28 August 1885 and attended the Ipswich Grammar School. With ...

, T. Inglis Moore,

Douglas Stewart Douglas Stewart may refer to: *Douglas Stewart (poet) (1913–1985), Australian poet *Edward Askew Sothern (1826–1881), English actor who was sometimes known as Douglas Stewart * Douglas Stewart (equestrian) (1913–1991), British Olympic equestri ...

Geoffrey Blainey Geoffrey Norman Blainey (born 11 March 1930) is an Australian historian, academic, best selling author and commentator. He is noted for having written authoritative texts on the economic and social history of Australia, including '' The Tyranny ...

Kenneth Slessor Kenneth Adolphe Slessor (27 March 190130 June 1971) was an Australian poet, journalist and official war correspondent in World War II. He was one of Australia's leading poets, notable particularly for the absorption of modernist influences int ...

Flora Eldershaw Flora Sydney Patricia Eldershaw (16 March 1897 – 20 September 1956) was an Australian novelist, critic and historian. With Marjorie Barnard she formed the writing collaboration known as M. Barnard Eldershaw. She was also a teacher and later ...

and

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. Maurice Dunlevy, in his article for the Canberra Times, echoed Grenfell Price in saying that the Fund may have enabled works to be published which otherwise would not have been written, or would have been of lesser quality, and helped in the careers of a few great writers ( Les A. Murray, David Ireland,

Alex Buzo Alexander John Buzo (23 July 194416 August 2006) was an Australian playwright and author who wrote 88 works. His literary works recorded Australian culture through wit, humour and extensive use of colloquial Australian English. Biography Ear ...

, William Marshall, H. M. Green, and

Judith Wright Judith Arundell Wright (31 May 191525 June 2000) was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award. Biography Judith Wright was born in Armidale, New So ...

), but much of the work produced was of mediocre quality, and no book sponsored by the Fund could be called a work of genius. In 1973, by which time its budget had grown to $300,000, the functions of the CLF were taken over by the Literature Board, an arm of the

Australia Council for the Arts The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austra ...

Sources

*Wilde, William H., Hooton, Joy and Andrews, Barry ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature'' Oxford University Press, Melbourne 2nd ed.

References

{{Reflist Arts in Australia 1908 establishments in Australia Australian literary awards 1973 disestablishments in Australia Awards established in 1908 Awards disestablished in 1973