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Rosina Ruth Lucia Park AM (24 August 191714 December 2010) was a New Zealand–born Australian author. Her best known works are the novels ''
The Harp in the South ''The Harp in the South'' is the debut novel by Australian author Ruth Park. Published in 1948, it portrays the life of a Catholic Irish Australian family living in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, which was at that time an inner city slum. P ...
'' (1948) and ''
Playing Beatie Bow ''Playing Beatie Bow'' is a popular Australian children's novel, written by Ruth Park and first published on 31 January 1980. It features a time slip in Sydney, Australia. Plot summary Lynette Kirk has been a happy child, cheery about her paren ...
'' (1980), and the children's radio serial ''
The Muddle-Headed Wombat The Muddle-Headed Wombat is a fictional wombat featured in the radio serials and later in the children's books of the same name written by Australian author Ruth Park. The books are considered classics of Australian children's literature. History ...
'' (1951–1970), which also spawned a book series (1962–1982).


Personal history

Park was born in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
to a Scottish father and a Swedish mother. Her family later moved to the town of Te Kuiti further south in the
North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
of New Zealand, where they lived in isolated areas. During the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
her working-class father laboured on bush roads and bridges, worked as a driver, did government relief work and became a sawmill hand. Finally, he shifted back to Auckland, where he joined the workforce of a municipal council. The family occupied public housing, known in New Zealand as a state house, and money remained a scarce commodity. Ruth Park, after attending a Catholic primary school, won a partial scholarship to secondary school, but her high-school education was broken by periods of being unable to afford to attend. She also completed an external degree course at
Auckland University The University of Auckland is a public university, public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest, most comprehensive and highest-ranked university in New Zealand and consistently places among the top 100 universit ...
.Ruth Park: "Becoming a Writer
Retrieved 5 November 2015
/ref> Park's first break as a professional writer came when she was hired by the ''
Auckland Star The ''Auckland Star'' was an evening daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, from 24 March 1870 to 16 August 1991. Survived by its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Star'', part of its name endures in ''The Sunday Star-Times'', created in ...
'' newspaper as a journalist, but she found the assignments she was given unchallenging. Wishing to expand her horizons, she accepted a job offer from the ''
San Francisco Examiner The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...
'', but the tightening of United States' entry requirements after the bombing of
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
forced a change of plan. Instead, she moved to Sydney, Australia, in 1942, where she had lined up a job with another newspaper. That same year she married the budding Australian author
D'Arcy Niland D'Arcy Francis Niland (20 October 191729 March 1967) was an Australian farm labourer, novelist and short story writer. In 1955 he wrote '' The Shiralee'', which gained international recognition in its depictions of the experiences of a swagman a ...
(1917–1967), with whom she had been corresponding as pen pals for some years, and whom she had finally met on a previous visit to Sydney. There she embarked on a career as a freelance writer. Park and Niland had five children, of whom the youngest, twin daughters Kilmeny and
Deborah According to the Book of Judges, Deborah ( he, דְּבוֹרָה, ''Dəḇōrā'', " bee") was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Many scholars ...
, went on to become book illustrators. (Park was devastated when Niland died in Sydney at the age of 49 from a heart ailment; Kilmeny also predeceased her — see the ''Herald'' obituary.) Park had eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The writer
Rafe Champion Kilmeny Niland (1950 – 27 February 2009) was a New Zealand–born Australian artist and illustrator. While best known for her children's book illustrations, she worked in a wide range of genres, including animation, wildlife art, miniatures, ...
is her son-in-law. In addition, Darcy Niland's brother Beresford married Ruth Park's sister Jocelyn.


Writing career

When contracted in 1942 by Ida Elizabeth Osbourne to write a serial for the ABC Children's Session, she wrote the series ''The Wide-awake Bunyip''. When the lead actor
Albert Collins Albert Gene Drewery, known as Albert Collins and the Ice Man (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993),Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography" Allmusic.com. was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. ...
died suddenly in 1951, she changed its direction and ''
The Muddle-Headed Wombat The Muddle-Headed Wombat is a fictional wombat featured in the radio serials and later in the children's books of the same name written by Australian author Ruth Park. The books are considered classics of Australian children's literature. History ...
'' was born, with first
Leonard Teale Leonard George Thiele AO (26 September 192214 May 1994), professionally Leonard Teale, was a well-known Australian actor of radio, television and film and radio announcer, presenter and narrator known for his resonant baritone voice. He is be ...
then
John Ewart Jon Ewart (06th May 1996) is a British television and film actor. Ewart attended the prestigious National Youth Theatre, Identity School of Acting and has appeared in many successful Television shows. Biography Career Ewart, who was born in M ...
in the title role. The series ended when the radio program folded in 1970. Such was its popularity that between 1962 and 1982 she wrote a series of children's books about the character. Her first novel was ''
The Harp in the South ''The Harp in the South'' is the debut novel by Australian author Ruth Park. Published in 1948, it portrays the life of a Catholic Irish Australian family living in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, which was at that time an inner city slum. P ...
'' (1948) – a graphic story of Irish slum life in Sydney, which has been translated into 37 languages. Even though it was acclaimed by literary critics, the book proved controversial with sections of the public due to its candour, with some newspaper letter-writers calling it a cruel fantasy because as far as they were concerned, there were no slums in Sydney. However, the newly married Park and Niland did live for a time in a Sydney slum located in the rough inner-city suburb of
Surry Hills Surry Hills is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney. Surry Hills is surroun ...
and vouched for the novel's accuracy. It has never been out of print. Sydney slum life recurs in her novel for children, ''
Playing Beatie Bow ''Playing Beatie Bow'' is a popular Australian children's novel, written by Ruth Park and first published on 31 January 1980. It features a time slip in Sydney, Australia. Plot summary Lynette Kirk has been a happy child, cheery about her paren ...
'' (1980). Park built on her initial success with the 1949 publication of a follow-up novel titled the ''
Poor Man's Orange ''Poor Man's Orange'' is a novel by New Zealand born Australian author Ruth Park. Published in 1949, the book is the sequel to '' The Harp in the South'' (1948) and continues the story of the Darcy family, living in the Surry Hills area of Sy ...
''. During the 1950s, despite the demands of raising a family, she wrote tirelessly. According to a 2010 tribute article printed in ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' and written by her literary agent Tim Curnow, she produced more than 5,000 radio scripts alone during this decade, as well as contributing numerous articles to newspapers and magazines and penning weightier works of fiction. She subsequently wrote ''Missus'' (1985), a prequel to ''The Harp in the South'', among other novels, and created scripts for film and television. Her autobiographies, ''A Fence Around the Cuckoo'' (1992) and ''Fishing in the Styx'' (1993), deal with her life in New Zealand and Australia respectively. She also penned a novel set in New Zealand, ''One-a-pecker, Two-a-pecker'' (1957), about gold mining in
Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...
. (It was later renamed ''The Frost and The Fire''.) Park never remarried. Between 1946 and 2004, she received numerous awards for her contributions to literature in both Australia and internationally. ''Ruth Park: A Celebration'' (1996)
PDF, 41 pages.
She was made a Member of the
Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
in 1987. (Her awards and honours are listed below.) From 1974 to 1981 Park dwelt on
Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...
, where she was the co-owner of a shop selling books and gifts. Her later years, however, were spent living in the Sydney harbourside suburb of
Mosman Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governm ...
. She died in her sleep on 14 December 2010, at the age of 93.


Awards

*1946 Inaugural ''Sydney Morning Herald''-sponsored writers' competition: Best Novel award for ''
The Harp in the South ''The Harp in the South'' is the debut novel by Australian author Ruth Park. Published in 1948, it portrays the life of a Catholic Irish Australian family living in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, which was at that time an inner city slum. P ...
'' (published 1948) *1954 Catholic Book Club Choice selected: ''Serpent's Delight'' *1961 Inaugural Commonwealth Television Play Competition: British award for television play won for ''
No Decision A no decision (sometimes written no-decision) is one of either of two sports statistics scenarios; one in baseball and softball, and the other in boxing and related combat sports. Baseball and softball A starting pitcher who leaves a game with ...
'', with
D'Arcy Niland D'Arcy Francis Niland (20 October 191729 March 1967) was an Australian farm labourer, novelist and short story writer. In 1955 he wrote '' The Shiralee'', which gained international recognition in its depictions of the experiences of a swagman a ...
*1962 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA): highly commended for ''The Hole in the Hill'' *1975 CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award Winners: highly commended for ''Callie's Castle'' *1977
Miles Franklin Award The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–195 ...
for ''Swords and Crowns and Rings'' *1977
National Book Council The National Book Council ( mt, Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb), is a Maltese public entity dedicated to the promotion of the book industry in Malta. It organises the Malta Book Festival ( mt, Il-Festival Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb), The Literar ...
: highly commended for ''Swords and Crowns and Rings'' *1979 Children's Book of the Year Award Winners: highly commended for ''Come Danger, Come Darkness'' *1981 Children's Book of the Year Award Winners: won for ''
Playing Beatie Bow ''Playing Beatie Bow'' is a popular Australian children's novel, written by Ruth Park and first published on 31 January 1980. It features a time slip in Sydney, Australia. Plot summary Lynette Kirk has been a happy child, cheery about her paren ...
'' *1981 Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature (NSW Premier's Literary Awards): won for ''When the Wind Changed'' *1982 Parents' Choice Award for Literature: won for ''Playing Beatie Bow'' *1982
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
: for ''
Playing Beatie Bow ''Playing Beatie Bow'' is a popular Australian children's novel, written by Ruth Park and first published on 31 January 1980. It features a time slip in Sydney, Australia. Plot summary Lynette Kirk has been a happy child, cheery about her paren ...
'' *1982
International Board on Books for Young People The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is an international non-profit organization committed to bringing books and children together. The headquarters of the IBBY are located in Basel, Switzerland. IBBY history In 1952, Jella Lepm ...
(Australia): Honour Diploma for ''
Playing Beatie Bow ''Playing Beatie Bow'' is a popular Australian children's novel, written by Ruth Park and first published on 31 January 1980. It features a time slip in Sydney, Australia. Plot summary Lynette Kirk has been a happy child, cheery about her paren ...
'' *1982
Guardian Fiction Prize The Guardian Fiction Prize was a literary award sponsored by ''The Guardian'' newspaper. Founded in 1965, it recognized one fiction book per year written by a British or Commonwealth writer and published in the United Kingdom. The award ran for 33 ...
(UK): runner-up for ''
Playing Beatie Bow ''Playing Beatie Bow'' is a popular Australian children's novel, written by Ruth Park and first published on 31 January 1980. It features a time slip in Sydney, Australia. Plot summary Lynette Kirk has been a happy child, cheery about her paren ...
'' *1986 Young Australians' Best Book Award for picture book ''When the Wind Changed'' (illustrated by Deborah Niland) *1987
Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AM): for services to literature *1992 The Age Book of the Year#Non-fiction Award: won for ''A Fence around the Cuckoo'' *1992
Colin Roderick Award The Colin Roderick Award is presented annually by the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies at Queensland's James Cook University for "the best book published in Australia which deals with any aspect of Australian life". It was first presented ...
: won for ''A Fence around the Cuckoo'', presented with the H.T. Priestley Meda(Townsville Foundation for Australian Literary Studies Award) *1993 Tilly Aston Award for Braille Book of the Year: won for ''A Fence around the Cuckoo'' *1993 Talking Book of the Year Award (Royal Blind Society) won for ''A Fence around the Cuckoo'' *1993 Talking Book of the Year Award (Royal Blind Society) won for ''Fishing in the Styx'' *1993 Lloyd O'Neil Magpie Award for services to the Australian book industry *1994 CBCA
COOL Award The COOL Awards is an annual children's choice award voted on by students in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Children are encouraged to read and vote for their favourite books. The votes are tallied and the awards made. ...
): won for ''
Playing Beatie Bow ''Playing Beatie Bow'' is a popular Australian children's novel, written by Ruth Park and first published on 31 January 1980. It features a time slip in Sydney, Australia. Plot summary Lynette Kirk has been a happy child, cheery about her paren ...
'' *1994 Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of New South Wales *1994
Fellowship of Australian Writers The Fellowship of Australian Writers (FAW) was established in Sydney in 1928, with the aim of bringing writers together and promoting their interests. The organisation played a key role in the establishment of the Australian Society of Authors in ...
, Christina Stead Award: won for ''Home Before Dark'' *1996 Bilby Award, Young Reader Award: won for ''When the Wind Changed'' (illustrated by Deborah Niland) *2004 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards#Special Award won *2006 listed in ''Bulletin's 100 most influential Australians'' *2008
Dromkeen Medal The Dromkeen Medal is a literary prize awarded annually by the Courtney Oldmeadow Children's Literature Foundation for those who have advanced children's literature in Australia. The Medal was established by bookseller, Joyce Oldmeadow in 1982, ...
So much more than Wombat's mum
Sydney Morning Herald obituary


Bibliography


Novels


See also

* List of New Zealand literary figures


References


External links

*
''Ruth Park'' (1999–2000) by Kilmeny NILAND
National Portrait Gallery (Australia) (Retrieved 11 June 2014) * *
Ruth Park
at Libraries Australia Authorities, with catalogue search (login required) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Ruth 1917 births 2010 deaths Australian children's writers New Zealand emigrants to Australia Miles Franklin Award winners Members of the Order of Australia People from Auckland People from Te Kuiti 20th-century Australian novelists Australian women children's writers Australian women novelists 20th-century Australian women writers 20th-century New Zealand women writers 20th-century New Zealand novelists New Zealand people of Scottish descent New Zealand people of Swedish descent