Ellen Davitt Ellen Davitt i(A20318 works by) (birth name: Marie Antoinette Hélène Léontine Heseltine) (a.k.a. Ellen Heseltine)
Also writes as: Arthur (Mrs.) Davitt
Born: Established: 1812 Hull, Yorkshire,
c
England,
c
c
United Kingdom (UK),
c
Western Europe, Europe, ; Died: Ceased: 6 Jan 1879 Fitzroy, Fitzroy - Collingwood area, Melbourne - North, Melbourne, Victoria,
Gender: Female
Arrived in Australia: 1854
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

Ellen Davitt accompanied her husband, Arthur Davitt, to Australia in 1854 in order to establish a Model School. Arthur Davitt was the principal and Ellen Davitt the Superintendent. Political in-fighting resulted in their discharge. Arthur Davitt died in 1860 and Ellen Davitt subsequently pursued work in teaching, journalism, writing and public speaking.

Davitt wrote a number of novel-length serials and novellas, and is considered Australia's first crime novelist, with Force and Fraud being the first known Australian murder mystery novel. In her final years, Davitt lived in the Bendigo district and experienced extreme poverty.

Davitt was a sister-in-law of English writer Anthony Trollope, but appears to have had little connection with him.

Most Referenced Works

Last amended 2 Sep 2014 10:35:42
Other mentions of "" in AustLit:
    X