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Issue Details: First known date: 1891... 1891 The Valley Council; Or, Leaves from the Journal of Thomas Bateman of Canbelego Station, N.S.W.
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

An exploration mystery and adventure story, which also concerns a lost race in the Australian outback, the The Valley Council begins with the murder of a settler and the disappearance of his wife, Annette. The other settlers mistakenly blame and hang three aboriginals before it comes to light that the narrator's second cousin, Jeremy Bateman had run off into the bush with the woman. With the aid of a guide, John Pettie Blackie, a small party of settlers begin an expedition into the wilds to bring the lovers to justice, and in the process come upon a hitherto unknown and unfriendly civilisation living in a valley protected by a seemingly impassable and well-guarded formation of rocks. The settlers attempt to find a way in but are repeatedly repelled by booby-traps, futuristic mechanisms, poison gasses and warriors in chain mail.

Bateman is later discovered tied up and exposed to the elements - his punishment for breaking one of the community's laws. It is then that they find out that Blackie murdered Annette's husband. Blackie, one of a small group of people to be in contact with the community, then persuaded them to follow him to the hidden valley. Through Bateman the party also find out more about the lost civilisation. Established 150 years ago by British colonialists who desired a socialist republic, everything is owned and run by the 'state,' and in a manner which Everett Bleiler describes as being 'regulated in a brutal and capricious manner' (p.140).

When the narrator is captured he is given a choice to live with the people and abide by their laws of face death. Choosing life he is now able to meet up with Annette and together they eventually escape. But not before he demonstrates 'a genius for exploiting endless legal technicalities within the culture.' It is also a strategy which allows him to subvert the Council and set up an informal underground organisation (Bleiler p.141). After having made their escape, which includes a shoot out and the death of several Council officials, the narrator and Annette reach civilisation. Sometime later he gets word from a friend in the valley that the laws and customs have since been changed to more rational ones.

The science fiction elements, introduced into the narrative through descriptions of the community's development of technology, also include electric cars and an advanced railroad.

[Source: Everett Bleiler, Science Fiction: The Early Years (1990), pp.140-141]


Notes

  • In an attempt to make The Valley Council read is if the events really occurred, the real author, Percy Clarke, attributes them to a journal written by one of the characters, Tom Bateman. The title page reads, for example: 'Edited by Percy Clarke, LL.B,' while the Preface is constructed as a 'Letter from the Editor to the Author,' and dated: 'Cannon Hall, Hampstead, August 1891.' Both the title page credit and the letter are therefore fictional.

  • This work has been digitised by the Reason in Revolt project.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

Lost and Found Cities and People : In Australia Graham Stone , 2001 single work review bibliography biography
— Appears in: Notes on Australian Science Fiction 2001; (p. 96-100)

— Review of The Lost Explorer : An Australian Story James Francis Hogan , 1890 single work novel ; The Savage Queen : A Romance of the Natives of Van Dieman's Land Hume Nisbet , 1891 single work novel ; The Golden Idol : A Tale of Adventures in Australia and New Zealand M. C. Walsh , 1891 single work novel ; The Golden Lake, or, The Marvellous History of a Journey Through the Great Lone Land of Australia Carlton Dawe , 1890 single work novel ; The Valley Council; Or, Leaves from the Journal of Thomas Bateman of Canbelego Station, N.S.W. Percy Clarke , 1891 single work novel ; The Secret of the Australian Desert Ernest Favenc , 1890 single work children's fiction ; The Fallen Race Austyn Granville , 1892 single work novel ; Mostyn Stayne Roderic Quinn , 1897 single work novel ; Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630 Ernest Favenc , 1896 single work children's fiction ; Adventure of the Broad Arrow : An Australian Romance. Morley Roberts , 1897 single work novel ; An Australian Bush Track David Hennessey , 1896 single work novel ; The Treasure Cave of the Blue Mountains W. H. O. Smeaton , 1898 single work children's fiction ; The Last Lemurian : A Westralian Romance G. Firth Scott , 1896 single work novel ; Eureka Owen Hall , 1899 single work novel
'The Valley Station [sic] ; Or, Leaves from the Journal of Thomas Bateman of Canbelego Station, N.S.W.' Everett Franklin Bleiler , 1990 single work review
— Appears in: Science-Fiction : The Early Years 1990; (p. 140-141)

— Review of The Valley Council; Or, Leaves from the Journal of Thomas Bateman of Canbelego Station, N.S.W. Percy Clarke , 1891 single work novel
Lost and Found Cities and People : In Australia Graham Stone , 2001 single work review bibliography biography
— Appears in: Notes on Australian Science Fiction 2001; (p. 96-100)

— Review of The Lost Explorer : An Australian Story James Francis Hogan , 1890 single work novel ; The Savage Queen : A Romance of the Natives of Van Dieman's Land Hume Nisbet , 1891 single work novel ; The Golden Idol : A Tale of Adventures in Australia and New Zealand M. C. Walsh , 1891 single work novel ; The Golden Lake, or, The Marvellous History of a Journey Through the Great Lone Land of Australia Carlton Dawe , 1890 single work novel ; The Valley Council; Or, Leaves from the Journal of Thomas Bateman of Canbelego Station, N.S.W. Percy Clarke , 1891 single work novel ; The Secret of the Australian Desert Ernest Favenc , 1890 single work children's fiction ; The Fallen Race Austyn Granville , 1892 single work novel ; Mostyn Stayne Roderic Quinn , 1897 single work novel ; Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630 Ernest Favenc , 1896 single work children's fiction ; Adventure of the Broad Arrow : An Australian Romance. Morley Roberts , 1897 single work novel ; An Australian Bush Track David Hennessey , 1896 single work novel ; The Treasure Cave of the Blue Mountains W. H. O. Smeaton , 1898 single work children's fiction ; The Last Lemurian : A Westralian Romance G. Firth Scott , 1896 single work novel ; Eureka Owen Hall , 1899 single work novel
'The Valley Station [sic] ; Or, Leaves from the Journal of Thomas Bateman of Canbelego Station, N.S.W.' Everett Franklin Bleiler , 1990 single work review
— Appears in: Science-Fiction : The Early Years 1990; (p. 140-141)

— Review of The Valley Council; Or, Leaves from the Journal of Thomas Bateman of Canbelego Station, N.S.W. Percy Clarke , 1891 single work novel
Last amended 12 Apr 2016 09:51:06
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