History
Latest Winners / Recipients
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Year: 1931
winner y
The Forerunners (in the Reign of Victoria) : A Historical Play
1925
(Manuscript version)x400501
Z852347
1925
single work
drama
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Year: 1927
winner y
Brumby Innes : A Play in Three Acts
1927
(Manuscript version)8304401
8304396
1927
single work
drama
(taught in 4 units)
Brumby Innes 'begins with a corroboree and, like Coonardoo, attempts to engage with a portrayal of Aboriginal life. Its central character, Brumby Innes, is a swaggering drunk who exploits the black workers on his station and abuses the women; he bears a close resemblance to Sam Geary in Coonardoo. Yet, Brumby Innes provides the central energy of the drama, and the celebration of that energy in the play conflicts with the dramatic critique of his sexism and racism. Brumby Innes's character exemplifies the ambivalent attitude in Prichard's work toward this type of male hero. Portrayed as stereotypically masculine, such characters are admired for their energetic, vital sexuality; yet, the extreme limitations of such maleness are also acknowledged.'
Source: Bird, Delys. 'Katharine Susannah Prichard.' Australian Writers, 1915-1950. Ed. Selina Samuels. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 260.
Works About this Award
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Brumby Innes : Australian Drama 1927 single work column
— Appears in: The Sunday Mail , 27 November 1927; (p. 1)'Under the auspices of J. and N. Tait, a search was instituted some months ago for an Australian playwright, whose work would be worthy of production in the capital cities. To-day the judges came to a unanimous decision, after reading 107 plays which came from entrants in all States.
'The winner was Katherine [sic] Susannah Prichard, of Greenmount, Western Australia. Under the pen name of Meroo, Miss Prichard entered a three-act drama entitled Brumby Innes. According to Gregan M'Mahon, who probably will be its producer, Brumby Innes is comparable with the best work of Eugene O'Neill, the greatest of all present-day American dramatists.'
