Rudyard Kipling was an English novelist, poet and short story writer. He visited Australia in 1891 during his extensive travels. Kipling arrived in Melbourne on 12 November from New Zealand. During his stay in Australia he took a train trip to Sydney (being present in the New South Wales capital from 14-16 November) and then returned to Melbourne before taking the train to Adelaide. Kipling left Adelaide on 25 November on board the SS Valetta. The ship berthed in Albany, Western Australia on 29 November and then departed for Colombo.
Kipling's contact with Australians during his visit, and through subsequent encounters during the Boer War, led him to form strong opinions about the national character. Some of these views are reflected in his poems and stories such as 'Lichtenberg' and 'A Friend of the Family'.