Ellen Clacy (International) assertion Ellen Clacy i(A18568 works by) (birth name: Ellen Sturmer) (a.k.a. Mrs Charles Clacy)
Also writes as: Cycla
Born: Established: 1820
c
England,
c
c
United Kingdom (UK),
c
Western Europe, Europe, ; Died: Ceased:
c
England,
c
c
United Kingdom (UK),
c
Western Europe, Europe,
Gender: Female
Visitor assertion
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

BiographyHistory

Clacy was an English author who reputedly visited the Victorian goldfields in 1852 (although definite proof of her actually coming to Australia is lacking). Apart from the works listed here, she also published novels, and children's books written under the pseudonym Cycla, but these have no Australian content.

Most Referenced Works

Notes

  • UK Biography and Genealogy Database has 1820 as year of birth, whereas "Annals of Australian Literature" has 1830.
  • There was also an English painter Ellen Clacy (fl 1870-1900) - probably a different person.
  • Note: Miller & Macartney incorrectly lists this author as "Ellen Clancy".

Affiliation Notes

  • Australian Colonial Narrative Journalism:

    Ellen Clacy was born in Richmond, Surrey. In 1852, she and her eldest brother Frederick apparently sailed to Australia to seek their fortune. During this time, she visited the goldfields where she stayed for two months, but returned to England where she began a literary career under the pseudonym of “Cycla”. She earned her living till her marriage writing for newspapers and magazines. Her first book, while memoir,  is regarded as a valuable account of life on the Victorian goldfields, particularly for women –  A Lady’s Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852–1853 (1853). She also wrote fiction, including the novels Lights and Shadows of Australian Life (1854), Passing Clouds (1858), and Aunt Dorothy’s Will (1860). In 1854, she married Charles Berry Clacy. She died in 1901 in London.

    Bibliography:

    • Thompson, Patricia (ed) (1963) A Lady’s Visit to the Gold Diggings in 1852-1853, Lansdowne Press, Melbourne
Last amended 17 Sep 2020 09:03:33
Other mentions of "" in AustLit:
    X