D'Arcy Niland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
D'Arcy Niland
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| Born | Darcy Francis Niland 20 October 1917 Glen Innes, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 29 March 1967 (aged 49) Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia |
| Resting place | Northern Suburbs cemetery, Sydney |
| Occupation | Farm labourer, novelist, short story writer |
| Alma mater | Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Glen Innes |
| Notable works | The Shiralee |
| Spouse | Rosina Ruth Park (1942–1967) |
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D'Arcy Francis Niland (born October 20, 1917 – died March 29, 1967) was an Australian writer. He wrote novels and many short stories. He was also a farm worker for a time.
In 1955, D'Arcy Niland wrote his most famous book, The Shiralee. This story became well-known around the world. It is about a swagman (a traveling worker in Australia) and his young daughter. The book was later made into a movie in 1957 and a TV mini-series in 1987.
D'Arcy Niland married another famous writer, Ruth Park, in 1942. They had five children together. He passed away at the age of 49 due to a heart condition.
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Who was D'Arcy Niland?
D'Arcy Niland was born on October 20, 1917, in a country town called Glen Innes, New South Wales. His birth name was Darcy Francis Niland. His father, Francis, worked with wool and made barrels. His mother was Barbara. D'Arcy was the oldest of six children in his family.
His father named him after a famous boxer, Les Darcy. When D'Arcy grew up, he changed his first name to "D'Arcy." He went to school in Glen Innes.
Early Life and Different Jobs
D'Arcy Niland left school when he was 14 years old. When he was 16, he worked briefly in Sydney for The Sun newspaper. He hoped to become a reporter.
He started writing early. His poem "Old Folks' Christmas" was printed in a newspaper in 1934. He also wrote an article about Christmas trees in 1935.
However, during the Great Depression (a time when many people lost their jobs), D'Arcy had to find other work. He traveled around Australia and did many different jobs. He worked as a farm helper, an opal miner, and even with a circus. He also worked in shearing sheds, helping with sheep. Later, he worked as a railway porter in Sydney.
During World War II, D'Arcy could not join the army because of a heart condition. Instead, he worked as a shearer, helping with wool production.
His Marriage and Writing Success
On May 11, 1942, D'Arcy Niland married Ruth Park. She was a journalist and writer from New Zealand. They had five children: Anne, Rory, Patrick, and twin daughters Kilmeny and Deborah.
After they got married, D'Arcy and Ruth traveled through the Australian countryside. He worked as a shearer, and Ruth worked as a cook. In 1943, they settled in Surry Hills, a working-class area of Sydney. They both became full-time writers and were praised for their work.
By 1944, both D'Arcy and Ruth were writing radio plays for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. They even worked together on a Christmas play.
Between 1949 and 1952, D'Arcy Niland won many awards for his short stories and novels. In 1955, he became famous around the world with his novel The Shiralee. He then wrote four more novels, including Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1957). He also wrote plays for radio and television, and hundreds of short stories. Some of his short stories were put into books between 1961 and 1966.
The Shiralee and Other Works
The Shiralee is D'Arcy Niland's most well-known book. It tells the story of an Australian swagman (a person who travels on foot with their belongings in a "swag" or bundle) named Macauley and his young daughter. The book was published in 1955.
It was made into a movie in 1957 with Peter Finch as the main actor. Later, it became a TV mini-series in 1987 starring Bryan Brown.
D'Arcy Niland also collected Australian folk songs. He published them in a book called Travelling songs of old Australia in 1966.
After D'Arcy Niland passed away, his wife, Ruth Park, edited a collection of his best short stories. These were published in 1987. Ruth also finished D'Arcy's research about the boxer Les Darcy. She wrote a biography about him called Home Before Dark (1995), with help from her son-in-law.
D'Arcy Niland had a long-term heart condition. This was why he couldn't join the army during World War II. He passed away at the age of 49.
Ruth Park's own autobiographies, A Fence around the Cuckoo and Fishing in the Styx, share details about her life with D'Arcy and their children. Their twin daughters, Kilmeny and Deborah, both became successful book illustrators. Ruth Park passed away in Sydney in 2010.
D'Arcy Niland's Books
Novels
- The Shiralee (1955)
- Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1957)
- The Big Smoke (1959)
- Gold in the Streets (1959)
- The Apprentices (1965)
- Dead Men Running (1969)
Short Story Collections
- Dadda Jumped Over Two Elephants (1961)
- The Ballad of the Fat Bushranger : and Other Stories (1961)
- Logan's Girl : and Other Stories (1961)
- Pairs and Loners (1966)
- The Penguin Best Stories of D'Arcy Niland (1987)
Nonfiction
- The Drums Go Bang (1956), written with Ruth Park
