Australian Literature Society Competition
Subcategory of Awards Australian Awards
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History

Prizes for one-act plays were presented by the Australian Literature society.

Latest Winners / Recipients

Year: 1928

Martin Mills gold medal for his novel The Montforts

Year unknown.
winner y separately published work icon Morning Betty M. Davies , 1929 (Manuscript version)9508961 Z858675 1929 single work drama
— Appears in: Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937; (p. 331-333)

Set in a log cabin in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales during the early goldrush era, Burton and Lucy are two runaway convicts who have hewn out a primitive existence in the harsh bushland. The story begins in the morning, shortly after Lucy has given birth to a son. Burton, a quiet, strong and apparently educated man is tending to the house and his 'wife'. As they consider the impact of the child on their already meagre lives, a prospector, lost during the course of a drunken spree, wanders into their lives. They feed him from their limited supply of food while he gloats about the gold he has found, showing them the nuggets. Each has been named after the use he will put them to. As he sobers up the stranger becomes wary and suspicious of the couple and rightly guesses who they are. He leaves, and shortly afterwards is followed by Burton, armed with his rifle.

Writing of the play in the Australian Women's Weekly following its publication in Best Australian One-Act Plays, Leslie Haylen writes: 'It succeeds on its dramatic situation, the texture of its writing and its craftsmanship. In some respects it is not a "nice" play and is probably all the better for that. It has an ugly ending, in the tragic manner, uses the convict theme, and no doubt if produced someone would want to ban it. Still, it is a brilliant play in every way' (18 September 1937, p.30).

Works About this Award

Australian Literature Society [Meeting Report] F. G. G. Hynes , 1937 single work column
— Appears in: All About Books , 13 September vol. 9 no. 9 1937; (p. 146-147)
Report of the reception on 5 August for Helen Simpson "being on a visit to her native land under contract with the Australian Broadcasting Commission". Also includes report of the meeting of 16 August where J.K. Moir delivered a paper on Lamond and Mrs. Williams wondered whether entries for the Short Story Prize really need "reflect some phase of Australian life and character". Cottman again brought forward his proposal to curtail the length of meetings. "Pleasing announcements" included the London Book Society choosing Mann's work as book of the month and The Valley of the Sky becoming the first Australian novel to be translated into Italian.
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