Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson (3 January 187020 March 1946), known by her pen name Henry Handel Richardson, was an Australian author.

Life

Born in East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, into a prosperous family that later fell on hard times, Ethel Florence (who preferred to answer to Et, Ettie or Etta) was the elder daughter of Walter Lindesay Richardson MD (c. 1826–1879) and his wife Mary (née Bailey). The family lived in various towns across Victoria during Richardson's childhood and youth. These included Chiltern, Queenscliff,

Koroit Koroit is a small rural town in western Victoria, Australia a few kilometres north of the Princes Highway, north-west of Warrnambool and west of Melbourne. It is in the Shire of Moyne local government area located amidst rolling green past ...

and

Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea Salt which is produced ...

, where Richardson's mother was postmistress (her father having died when she was nine, of syphilis).Michael Ackland, "Battle-tried survivor", ''The Weekend Australian'', 26–27 June 2004. The Richardsons' home in Chiltern, "Lake View", is now owned by the National Trust and open to visitors. Richardson left Maldon to become a boarder at Presbyterian Ladies' College (PLC) in Melbourne in 1883 and attended from the ages of 13 to 17. This experience was the basis for '' The Getting of Wisdom'', a

coming-of-age novel In literary criticism, a ''Bildungsroman'' (, plural ''Bildungsromane'', ) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood ( coming of age), in which character change is imp ...

admired by

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

Conservatorium. Richardson set her first novel, '' Maurice Guest'', in Leipzig. In 1894 in Munich Richardson married the Scot

John George Robertson John George Robertson (18 January 1867, Glasgow – 29 May 1933, London) was a philologist and professor of German language and literature. Robertson graduated with M.A. and B.Sc. from the University of Glasgow and then Ph.D. (Promotion) from Le ...

, whom she had met in Leipzig where he was studying German literature and who later briefly taught at the

University of Strasburg The University of Strasbourg (french: Université de Strasbourg, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. The French university traces its history to the e ...

, where his wife became ladies' tennis champion. In 1903, the couple moved to London, where Robertson had been appointed to the first chair of German at

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

. Richardson returned to Australia in 1912, in order to research family history for '' The Fortunes of Richard Mahony'', but after her return to England, she remained there for the rest of her life. She and her sister Lillian were ardent supporters of the suffragette movement, Lillian even being imprisoned for destroying public property. She was involved in psychic research, and after her husband's death, she claimed she maintained daily contact with him via seances. Richardson experienced lesbian desire throughout her life. At Presbyterian Ladies' College, she fell in love with an older schoolgirl; the feelings of adolescent females awakening to their sexuality were reflected in her second novel, ''The Getting of Wisdom''. After her mother's death, she fell passionately in love with the Italian actress Eleonora Duse, but had to be content to love her from a distance. Her friend Olga Roncoroni, who had lived in the Robertson household for many years, filled the gap left by the death of her husband. After her own death, many of her private papers were destroyed, in accordance with her instructions. ''The Fortunes of Richard Mahony'' is Richardson's famous trilogy about the slow decline, owing to character flaws and an unnamed brain disease, of a successful Australian physician and businessman and the emotional/financial effect on his family. It was highly praised by

Sinclair Lewis Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American writer and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States (and the first from the Americas) to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, which was ...

, among others, and was inspired by Richardson's own family experiences. The central characters were based loosely on her own parents. Richardson also produced a single volume of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

and an autobiography that greatly illuminates the settings of her novels, although her '' Australian Dictionary of Biography'' entry doubts that it is reliable.

Manning Clark Charles Manning Hope Clark, (3 March 1915 – 23 May 1991) was an Australian historian and the author of the best-known general history of Australia, his six-volume ''A History of Australia'', published between 1962 and 1987. He has been descri ...

noted Richardson's excitement at Don Bradman's cricketing prowess in 1930: "She talked with pride about the achievements of Bradman ... and was so excited by the performance of the boy from

Bowral Bowral () is the largest town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, about ninety minutes southwest of Sydney. It is the main business and entertainment precinct of the Wingecarribee Shire and Highlands. Bowral once served ...

she scarcely talked on anything else when

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 ...

called on her." Richardson was godmother to Humphrey, son of the singer

Sophie Wyss Sophie Adele Wyss (5 July 189725 December 1983) was a Swiss soprano who made her career as a concert singer and broadcaster in the UK. She was noted for her performances of French works, many of them new to Britain, for giving the world premiere ...

. His godfather was

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

. Richardson died of cancer on 20 March 1946 in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

, East Sussex, England. Her cremated remains were scattered by her wish with her husband's at sea.

Iris Murdoch Dame Jean Iris Murdoch ( ; 15 July 1919 – 8 February 1999) was an Irish and British novelist and philosopher. Murdoch is best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious. Her ...

is her second cousin twice removed.

Family

H H Richardson and husband J G Robertson 1896

20051210ChilternLakeViewHouseHomeHenryHandelRichardson 003

Lillian Richardson, Ethel's younger sister, married A. S. Neill after divorcing her first husband, and helped found and run Summerhill School.

Honours

The Canberra suburb of Richardson was gazetted in 1975 and is named after Henry Handel Richardson. In the same year, she was honoured on a postage stamp bearing her portrait issued by Australia Post. One of the houses at Abbotsleigh School for Girls in Wahroonga, Sydney is named after Richardson. Richardson Hall, one of the residential halls at Monash University's Clayton campus, is named after Richardson.

List of works

Novels

* '' Maurice Guest'' (1908) * '' The Getting of Wisdom'' (1910) * '' Australia Felix'' (1917) * '' The Way Home'' (1925) * '' Ultima Thule'' (1929) (Awarded the

Australian Literature Society Gold Medal The Australian Literature Society Gold Medal (ALS Gold Medal) is awarded annually by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature for "an outstanding literary work in the preceding calendar year." From 1928 to 1974 it was awarded by the ...

for 1929.) * '' The Fortunes of Richard Mahony'' (1930) ** Comprising the novels: ''Australia Felix'', ''The Way Home'' and ''Ultima Thule'' * '' The Young Cosima'' (1939)

Short story collections

*''Two Studies'' (1931) (Mary Christina, Life and Death of Peterle Luthe). *''The End of a Childhood and other short stories'' (1934). 15 short stories, comprising also the stories in "Two Studies". *''The Adventures of Cuffy Mahony'' (1979) *''The End of a Childhood: The Complete Stories of Henry Handel Richardson'' (1992), edited by Carol Franklin *''And Women Must Weep'' (1931)

Memoir

*''Myself When Young'' (1948)

Translations

* (As Robertson, Ethel F. L.) ''Siren Voices'' (1896). From the Norwegian '' Niels Lyhne'' by

Jens Peter Jacobsen Jens Peter Jacobsen (7 April 1847 – 30 April 1885) was a Danish novelist, poet, and scientist, in Denmark often just written as "J. P. Jacobsen". He began the naturalist movement in Danish literature and was a part of the Modern B ...

. * (Not Credited) ''Siren Voices'' (1896). From the Norwegian '' Niels Lyhne'' by

Film

'' The Getting of Wisdom'' was filmed in 1977, directed by

Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally and internationally in the United States. Beresford's notable films he has directed include '' B ...

, from a screenplay by

Eleanor Witcombe Eleanor Katrine Witcombe (20 September 1923 – 21 October 2018) was an Australian writer who worked extensively in radio, film and television. Early life and education Witcombe was born in Yorketown, South Australia where her father ran a far ...

, starring Susannah Fowle as "Laura Rambotham" with supporting roles by Julia Blake, Terence Donovan and

Kerry Armstrong Kerry Michelle Armstrong (born 12 September 1958) is an Australian actress and author. She is one of only two actresses to win two Australian Film Institute Awards in the same year, winning Best Actress in a Leading Role for ''Lantana'' and Be ...

. The screenplay adheres closely to the novel. ''Maurice Guest'' was adapted, very loosely, for the screen in '' Rhapsody'' (1954) starring Elizabeth Taylor, with the setting in Switzerland rather than Germany. It ended with "James Guest" happily married, rather than committing suicide.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography
Green, Dorothy "Richardson, Ethel Florence Lindesay (Henry Handel) (1870–1946)" in ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', online edition
Accessed: 2007-09-20 * Ackland, Michael (2005) ''Henry Handel Richardson: A Life'', Cambridge University Press * Auchterlonie, Dorothy Green (1973) (revised 1986) ''Ulysses Bound; Henry Handel Richardson and Her Fiction'', Australian National University Press, Canberra * Buckley, Vincent (1961) ''Henry Handel Richardson'', Lansdowne Press Pty Ltd., Melbourne * Clark, Axel (1989) ''Henry Handel Richardson: Fiction in the Making'', Simon & Schuster, Brookvale, N.S.W. * * * * McLeod, Karen (1985) ''Henry Handel Richardson; A Critical Study'', Cambridge University Press *

External links

Henry Handel Richardson Society
*

at

Project Gutenberg Australia Project Gutenberg Australia, abbreviated as PGA, is an Internet site which was founded in 2001 by Colin Choat. It is a sister site of Project Gutenberg, though there is no formal relationship between the two organizations. The site hosts free eboo ...

* *
Online editions of works
at The University of Adelaide Library.
The Yellow Scarf
catalogue information on a portrait of the author by

Rupert Bunny Rupert Charles Wulsten Bunny (29 September 186425 May 1947) was an Australian painter. Born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria, he achieved success and critical acclaim as an expatriate in '' fin-de-siècle'' Paris. He gained an honourable mentio ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Henry Handel 1870 births 1946 deaths Australian expatriates in the United Kingdom Australian memoirists Australian women short story writers Bisexual women Bisexual writers People educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne Pseudonymous writers Pseudonymous women writers Australian women memoirists Australian women novelists ALS Gold Medal winners Writers from Melbourne Australian LGBT writers