Steele Rudd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steele Rudd
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| Born | Arthur Hoey Davis 14 November 1868 Drayton, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 11 October 1935 (aged 66) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Resting place | Toowong Cemetery |
| Pen name | Steele Rudd |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Notable works | On Our Selection, Rudd's Magazine |
| Notable awards | King George V Silver Jubilee Medal |
| Spouse | Violet Christina Davis |
| Partner | Winifred Hamilton, Beatrice Sharp |
Steele Rudd was the pen name (a fake name used by a writer) of Arthur Hoey Davis (born November 14, 1868 – died October 11, 1935). He was an Australian author. He is most famous for his collection of short stories called On Our Selection.
In 2009, during the Q150 celebrations, Rudd was honored as one of the Q150 Icons. This was for his important role in Queensland's literature.
Contents
Early Life and First Jobs
Arthur Davis was born in Drayton, near Toowoomba, Queensland. His father, Thomas Davis, was a blacksmith who came to Australia in 1847. His mother, Mary Green, was an Irishwoman who moved to Australia because of the Great Famine.
Arthur was the eighth of 13 children in his family. His father later started a farm at Emu Creek. Arthur went to the local school there. He left school before he turned 12. He then worked at different jobs on a large farm.
When he was 15, he became a junior stockrider on a farm in the Darling Downs. At 18, he got a job as a junior clerk in Brisbane. He worked in an office that handled money for people who had passed away.
In 1889, Davis moved to a job in the sheriff's office. In his free time, he loved rowing. He started writing a column about rowing for a weekly newspaper. He needed a special name for his writing, so he chose "Steele Rudder." He picked "Steele" from a famous English writer, Richard Steele. He chose "Rudder" because it is part of a boat. Later, he shortened it to "Steele Rudd."
Becoming a Famous Writer
In late 1895, Davis sent a story called 'Starting the selection' to The Bulletin magazine. This story was based on his father's experiences. It was published on December 14, 1895. This story later became the first chapter of his book On Our Selection.
A man named J. F. Archibald encouraged Davis to write more stories. Davis continued writing, and 26 of his stories were put into the book On Our Selection, which came out in 1899. This book became very popular. Within four years, 20,000 copies were sold. By 1940, over 250,000 copies had been sold. The stories from this book were also made into a play and several movies.
In 1903, his next book, Our New Selection, was published. In the same year, Davis left his job in the public service. In January 1904, Davis started his own monthly magazine called Rudd's Magazine. It ran for almost four years. It was first published in Brisbane and then moved to Sydney.
Davis wrote many more books that continued the On Our Selection series. Most of them were successful. He also wrote two other books, The Romance of Runnibede (1927) and Green Grey Homestead (1934). However, it was hard for him to find readers for his more serious books. He struggled to make a living in his later years.
His Life and Legacy
Steele Rudd passed away in Brisbane on October 11, 1935. He was married twice and had three sons and a daughter from his first marriage.
Davis was a tall man with a friendly, lively personality. He loved horses and played polo for 20 years. His books were inspired by his own early life experiences. People who lived in the countryside really enjoyed his stories. They recognized the brave, hopeful, and funny characters like "Dad" and "Mum."
His short stories about country life made him famous. The 1920 movie On Our Selection and the 1932–1952 radio show Dad and Dave helped make his characters famous Australian figures.
However, Davis did not like how his hardworking family characters were sometimes made into silly country people. He had nothing to do with the radio show. He especially disliked when Mrs. Rudd was called 'Mum' instead of 'Mother'. He felt it showed a lack of respect for pioneering Australian women.
The humor in Rudd's Selection stories comes from the characters and situations. It does not use simple jokes like those sometimes told about "Dad and Dave."
You can still see a copy of Rudd's old wooden hut in the town of Nobby, Queensland. There is a statue of Steele Rudd in King George Square in Brisbane. Also, a student residence at the University of Southern Queensland is named "Steele Rudd."
There are also copper statues of Dad, Dave, Mum, and Mabel in Gundagai.
Dramatizations of His Work
- In 1912, a play called Our Selection was performed. It was adapted by an actor named Bert Bailey.
A play called The Execution of Steele Rudd was first performed in 1981. This play shows Arthur Davis working in the sheriff's office. It focuses on how he managed the plans for the execution of two criminals.
See also
- Selection (Australian history)
