INSPIRING TERRITORY FOR AWARD WINNING NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES

In 1938 Xavier Herbert   received  the  Australian  Commonwealth   sequi-centenary  award  for  a  novel ,  Capricornia , which  was  praised  by the  prominent  British  writer   H. G. Wells . 

The   novel was inspired  to a large  extent by what  Herbert  experienced in and  the many characters  he  met   in  the   Northern Territory  in   the   l920s   and  30s  working  as  a  pharmacist,  railway  fettler,   superintendent of an  Aboriginal  compound  and  "pox  doctor  " to  Japanese  pearldivers  whom  he   regarded  as  supermen . 

To  prevent being sued  by  people in the Territory who  identified  themselves as   thinly  disguised  characters  in  the  novel,  Herbert   called   the  land   Capricornia. 

The Territory also provided  him with the  name  for  a later   Miles Franklin Award  winning   epic , Poor Fellow  My Country , which   he  proudly said  was   bigger than  the  Bible. The  title was  based  on  the  anguished   cry  of  an   Aborigine  who  was  imrisoned after he threw a  spear  at  a  policeman   who  shot  his   dog   at  Pine Creek .    

When Herbert was  a  boy in  Western Australia  , his  father , a railway worker,  discussed  the possibility of  taking up land in the Northern Territory and  breeding remounts  for the  Indian Army.

 In Melbourne , in the l920s,  Herbert,  intent on  becoming a  doctor ,  with  a writing  itch , churned out  a range of  material,including short  stories,  for  various publications.    Never  published was a  lengthy  novel ,Giants of Iron,  which mentiond vast  deposits of  iron  in  Western  Australia. 

In the l920s , Darwin , Port Zodiac in Capricornia , with its Chinese temple in chinatown and several Chinese owned businesses, was regarded by some as a  Chinese colony.

It certainly played a big part in Herbert's life. Photos from the files of Darwin resident    Bob   White give an insight into what the Territory capital was like.

The   above view of  Cavenagh Street  ,in the central business  district , includes part  of  Gordon's  Don Hotel - now an  ABC studio- and  the  Tree of  Knowledge, a major gathering spot. 

Mrs  Christina   Gordon, was a  prominent  Darwin identity  who owned  pubs, Star Pictures and  the Rendezvous Cafe.  When she ran  the Victoria Hotel  she was  dubbed    the   aviators ' mother   because she looked after the male and  female  pioneering   aviators  who  lobbed  in  Darwin. She  even  urged   Herbert   to open  a   chemist  shop.

At  one  stage   Xavier  and  his wife , Sadie, lived   in  what  had  had  been  a  former Chinese  gambling  den. Their residence included a  room   decorated with  spears  and  other  items, knocked to  the floor during  a party .  

In another  interesting   Bob  White photo there is a  Whites  Taxi  and a bicycle, a  common means of  transport , in  Cavenagh Street. What  could   be a  group  of  unionists  are  visible across  the  way , possibly   preparing  for  a  march  , a   man  carrying  a  flag  or  banner  nearby . 

In  late  l932 , two of  Darwin's  three  pubs  - Club   and  Terminus - were closed.  Another  Bob  White  photograph  shows some thirsty  Darwin  residents   , one  of  them  his  uncle, Vince . 

  

(Novels. Darwin. Herbert.)