Cirrus@Austlit

Australian Colonial Narrative Journalism:

In 1880, Melvin wrote a work of literary journalism on the last stand of the Kelly Gang at Glenrowan, Victoria, “The Destruction of the Kelly Gang”, joining the police hunt for the bushrangers during the siege and capture. He was accompanied by three other journalists George Allen (Melbourne Daily Telegraph); Thomas Carrington (Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil), and John McWhirter (Age).

In 1885, Melvin was the war correspondent in Sudan for the Daily Telegraph and The Bulletin, despite initially not having official credentials. He teamed up with fellow war reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald, WJ Lambie.

In 1892, Melvin wrote a series of articles titled, “The Kanaka Labour Traffic” for the Argus’ Saturday paper, the Australasian,  about the practice of recruiting South Sea islanders for Queensland’s sugar cane plantations. Additional articles were published in the Argus and the series was syndicated.

He worked undercover signing on to the Helena as crew for its round trip from Queensland to the Solomon Islands. Peter Corris published Melvin’s full series of articles as  The Cruise of the Helena (1977).

In later years, Melvin joined political staff as a Hansard writer in 1905, then worked for the politician William Kidston in Queensland as his speech writer.

Selected Articles:

• The Destruction of the Kelly Gang, Argus, July 8 1880.

The series of 13 articles Melvin wrote for the Argus on “The Kanaka Labour Traffic” appeared as the following:

• “A Representative on a Recruiting Schooner”, Argus, 3 December 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; Natives Homeward Bound; The Voyage to the Solomon Islands”, 5 December, 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; Reception of Returned Labourers by their Tribes; The First Attempt to Recruit” 6 December, 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner;The Natives Shy; Inspection by a Warship”, 7 December, 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; The Safeguards Against Deception; First Recruits” 8 December, 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; Operations in Port Adam; Additional Recruits Obtained; Refusal of Recruits”, 9 December, 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; Death of a ‘Return’; A Large Number of Recruits Obtained”, 10 December, 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; Re-engagement of Former Labourers; Two Women Accepted; Death of a Recruit”, 12 December 12, 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; The Last of the ‘Returns’ Landed; Brisk Recruiting”, 15 December, 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; Competition Between Labour Ships; Re-Victualling Necessary”, 16 December 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; In Missionary Precincts, Large Accession of Recruits”, 17 December 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; A Full Ship; The Nineteenth ‘Boy’ Obtained”, 19 December 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; Return to Bundaberg; Safe Landing of the Boys”, 20 December 1892

• “Our Representative on a Recruiting Schooner; Concluding Comments; Stringency of the Regulations; The Cost of a Kanaka”, 22 December 1892

Bibliography

Corris, P (ed) (1977) The Cruise of the Helena, Hawthorn Press, Melbourne