David Williamson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Williamson AO
Williamson in 1972
Born	David Keith Williamson 1942 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation	Playwright, screenwriter
Language	English
Genre	Theatre, film, television

David Keith Williamson (born in 1942) is a famous Australian writer. He is known for writing plays for the stage, and also scripts for movies and TV shows. He became well-known in the early 1970s with his play Don's Party. Other popular plays he wrote include The Club, Travelling North, and Emerald City.

Early Life and Education

David Williamson was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1942. He grew up in a town called Bairnsdale. He first started studying mechanical engineering at the University of Melbourne in 1960. Later, he switched universities and earned a degree in engineering from Monash University in 1965.

Even when he was studying engineering, David loved theatre. He acted and wrote funny skits for student shows. He also wrote satirical sketches for other theatre groups.

After working briefly as a design engineer for GM Holden, Williamson became a teacher. He taught mechanical engineering at Swinburne University of Technology starting in 1966. At the same time, he studied social psychology at the University of Melbourne. He earned a master's degree in Psychology in 1970. He continued teaching social psychology at Swinburne until 1972.

A Career in Writing

David Williamson began writing and performing plays in 1967. He quickly became famous in the early 1970s. Some of his early works include Don's Party (which was made into a movie in 1976) and The Removalists (1971).

He also helped write the scripts for popular movies like Gallipoli (1981) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Williamson's plays often explore themes like politics, friendship, and family life in Australian cities.

Famous Stage Plays

Some of his most important plays for the stage include:

• The Club
• The Department
• Travelling North
• The Perfectionist
• Emerald City
• Money and Friends
• Brilliant Lies

Recent Works

In more recent years, he has written plays like Dead White Males, which is a funny look at university life. Another play, Up for Grabs, even starred the singer Madonna in its London show.

He also wrote the "Jack Manning Trilogy" of plays. These plays, like Face To Face, Conversation, and Charitable Intent, explore a new way of solving problems called community conferencing. Williamson became very interested in this idea.

David Williamson has written plays for both large and small theatres. In 2005, he announced he would stop writing for big main-stage productions. However, he kept writing new plays, many of which were shown at the Ensemble Theatre. He had some health issues, including a serious heart problem, but he recovered well.

In 2007, he wrote Lotte's Gift, a play for one actress. It told the story of a musician's life and her family. In 2021, David Williamson published his memoir, Home Truths, which is a book about his own life.

Other Activities

Williamson helped start the Noosa Long Weekend Festival. This is a cultural festival held in Noosa, Queensland, where he lives.

In 2006, he also helped Cate Molloy, a politician, with her campaign when she ran for election as an independent candidate.

Personal Life

David Williamson is married to Kristin Williamson. They have homes in Sydney and on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. They have five grown-up children.

His son, Rory Williamson, and his stepson, Felix Williamson, are both actors. Rory acted in a play called The Coming of Stork in 2001.

Awards and Honours

Plaque in the Sydney Writers Walk series at Circular Quay remembering David Williamson, with a quote from Emerald City

David Williamson has received many awards for his amazing work:

• 1971 – British George Devine Award
• 1972 – Awgie Award for best stage play and best script for The Removalists
• 1983 – He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia, which is a high honour.
• 1988 – Received an honorary degree from the University of Sydney
• 1990 – Received an honorary degree from Monash University
• 1995 – Won the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Drama Award for Sanctuary
• 1996 – Gave the first Andrew Olle Media Lecture
• 1996 – Received an honorary degree from Swinburne University of Technology
• 2004 – Received an honorary degree from the University of Queensland
• 2012 – Was nominated for Senior Australian of the Year

Australian Film Institute Awards

He has won several Australian Film Institute Awards for his screenplays:

• 1977 – For Don's Party
• 1981 – For Gallipoli
• 1987 – For Travelling North
• 2009 – For Balibo (shared with director Robert Connolly)

Helpmann Awards

The Helpmann Awards celebrate live entertainment in Australia. In 2005, Williamson received the JC Williamson Award. This is the highest honour given by Live Performance Australia for a person's lifetime work in live performance.

Writings

Plays for the Stage

Screenplays for Movies and TV