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C. B. Thornton-Smith C. B. Thornton-Smith i(A525 works by) (a.k.a. Colin Bernard Thornton-Smith)
Born: Established: 1929 ;
Gender: Male
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2 De Mineur à Ministre Paul Le Franc , 1896 single work short story
— Appears in: Nouvelle Revue Internationale , 2e sem. 1896; (p. 781-88)

— Appears in: Explorations : A Journal of French-Australian Connections , December no. 23 1997; (p. 13-32)
1 Paul Maistre, Vice-Consul and Later Consul for France in Victoria, 1901-1908 C. B. Thornton-Smith , 1994 single work biography
— Appears in: Explorations : A Journal of French-Australian Connections , December no. 17 1994;
'This is a step by step account of Paul Maistre's fight to reform the Melbourne Alliance française at the beginning of the twentieth century. The author first describes the early years of Maistre's career, including his exceptionally long term in Melbourne from 1885 to 1898, starting as 'chancelier de première classe' but later promoted to vice-consul. In 1901, Maistre returned to Melbourne in charge of the newly established vice-consulate, under the supervision of Georges Biard d'Aunet, the Sydney-based Consul General for Australia. Maistre was soon promoted to consul. Biard d'Aunet and Maistre were allies not only in their consular capacities but also in their passion for the Alliance française as an educational institution. Although the Melbourne Alliance had been founded by a teacher, Mme Mouchette, and its establishment had preceded that of the Sydney Alliance by the best part of a decade, by the early years of the twentieth century it had become an exclusive ladies' club run by the cream of Melbourne society, neglecting its official purpose, the promotion of the French language and French culture, whilst the Sydney Alliance, led by the Consul General in person, limited itself to the more austere aspects of the institution's pedagogical objectives. Although after Biard d'Aunet's departure in 1904 Maistre no longer enjoyed the same support from his Sydney superiors, he continued and indeed intensified the fight for a reform of the Melbourne Alliance. This fight culminated in 1907 and 1908 when a conflict exploded between the Consul, supported by the Paris headquarters of the Alliance, as well as by the vast majority of the local French community, including the Lecturer in French at the University, Maurice-Carton (although the latter was never prepared to participate in the activities of the Alliance), and a Committee dominated by the Melbourne establishment, especially Mrs Cave, the Honorary Treasurer, and Lady Holroyd, one of the Presidents. The English-speaking socialites were supported by the long-established French family, the Crivellis, who had social ambitions, whilst Maistre enjoyed the active support and assistance of several French residents of Jewish extraction, such as Mlle Irma Dreyfus and her sister Mme Aarons, who both made significant literary and intellectual contributions to the Alliance, and M.F. Levey, who acted as Honororary Auditor. The author meticulously documents the skirmishes between the two camps during this period. These eventually (by approximately April 1908) ended by the resignation of the old committee and the installation of a reformist committee under Paul Maistre. However, this was a pyrrhic victory for the Consul, as the party of the socialites, having lost the battle in Melbourne and at the Paris headquarters of the Alliance, now approached their contacts at the British Embassy in Paris, to lodge a complaint against Maistre. The British Ambassador in turn contacted the Quai d'Orsay, and on 12 August 1908, unknown to the Paris Alliance française, the French Foreign Minister wrote to Maistre to reprimand him for his undiplomatic behaviour and to signify him his recall. Maistre sailed from Melbourne on 25 February 2009, and retired on 22 September of the same year. In 1913 he published a well-researched book on Le Commonwealth d'Australie : étude de géographie physique et économique.
1 Paul Maistre, Vice-Consul and Later Consul for France in Victoria, 1886-1898 C. B. Thornton-Smith , 1994 single work biography
— Appears in: Explorations : A Journal of French-Australian Connections , December no. 17 1994; (p. 3-25)
'This is a step by step account of Paul Maistre's fight to reform the Melbourne Alliance française at the beginning of the twentieth century. The author first describes the early years of Maistre's career, including his exceptionally long term in Melbourne from 1885 to 1898, starting as 'chancelier de première classe' but later promoted to vice-consul. In 1901, Maistre returned to Melbourne in charge of the newly established vice-consulate, under the supervision of Georges Biard d'Aunet, the Sydney-based Consul General for Australia. Maistre was soon promoted to consul. Biard d'Aunet and Maistre were allies not only in their consular capacities but also in their passion for the Alliance française as an educational institution. Although the Melbourne Alliance had been founded by a teacher, Mme Mouchette, and its establishment had preceded that of the Sydney Alliance by the best part of a decade, by the early years of the twentieth century it had become an exclusive ladies' club run by the cream of Melbourne society, neglecting its official purpose, the promotion of the French language and French culture, whilst the Sydney Alliance, led by the Consul General in person, limited itself to the more austere aspects of the institution's pedagogical objectives. Although after Biard d'Aunet's departure in 1904 Maistre no longer enjoyed the same support from his Sydney superiors, he continued and indeed intensified the fight for a reform of the Melbourne Alliance. This fight culminated in 1907 and 1908 when a conflict exploded between the Consul, supported by the Paris headquarters of the Alliance, as well as by the vast majority of the local French community, including the Lecturer in French at the University, Maurice-Carton (although the latter was never prepared to participate in the activities of the Alliance), and a Committee dominated by the Melbourne establishment, especially Mrs Cave, the Honorary Treasurer, and Lady Holroyd, one of the Presidents. The English-speaking socialites were supported by the long-established French family, the Crivellis, who had social ambitions, whilst Maistre enjoyed the active support and assistance of several French residents of Jewish extraction, such as Mlle Irma Dreyfus and her sister Mme Aarons, who both made significant literary and intellectual contributions to the Alliance, and M.F. Levey, who acted as Honororary Auditor. The author meticulously documents the skirmishes between the two camps during this period. These eventually (by approximately April 1908) ended by the resignation of the old committee and the installation of a reformist committee under Paul Maistre. However, this was a pyrrhic victory for the Consul, as the party of the socialites, having lost the battle in Melbourne and at the Paris headquarters of the Alliance, now approached their contacts at the British Embassy in Paris, to lodge a complaint against Maistre. The British Ambassador in turn contacted the Quai d'Orsay, and on 12 August 1908, unknown to the Paris Alliance française, the French Foreign Minister wrote to Maistre to reprimand him for his undiplomatic behaviour and to signify him his recall. Maistre sailed from Melbourne on 25 February 2009, and retired on 22 September of the same year. In 1913 he published a well-researched book on Le Commonwealth d'Australie : étude de géographie physique et économique.
1 1 y separately published work icon Analytical Checklist of French Fiction and Pseudo-Memoirs Set in Colonial Australia Patricia A. Clancy , C. B. Thornton-Smith , Melbourne : Institute for the Study of French-Australian Relations and the University of Melbourne. Australian Centre , 1991 Z312435 1991 single work bibliography
1 S.T. Gill and Hubert de Castella C. B. Thornton-Smith , 1988 single work criticism
— Appears in: Explorations : A Journal of French-Australian Connections , September no. 6 1988; (p. 3-6)
'This article describes Hubert de Castella's life prior to his coming to Australia. Of Swiss origin, he always wanted to be an artist but at his father's request he engaged in architectural studies, without however qualifying as an architect. He subsequently took French citicizenship and enlisted in the French army. In 1854 he joined his brother Paul in Victoria and enjoyed helping on the farm, hunting and handling stock. He also designed houses for his brother and painted and sketched in the new country. During his stay in Australia he came across the work of S.T. Gill. When Hubert de Castella returned to France in 1856, he assembled his reminiscences in a volume called Les Squatters australiens which Hachette accepted for publication in its Bibliothèque des Chemins de Fer collection after first serialising it in the new magazine Le Tour du monde. The magazine required illustrations and Hubert de Castella was only too happy to oblige. However among the drawings attributed to him there appears to be a copy of T. S. Gill's "Stockman" with only minor variations. One of the mysteries of this imitation is that the version of "The Stockman" used by Hubert de Castella was not published until after his return to Europe.
2 3 y separately published work icon Les squatters australiens Charles Hubert de Castella , ( trans. C. B. Thornton-Smith with title Australian squatters ) Carlton : Melbourne University Press , 1987 Z1650132 1861 single work prose travel
1 A True Account in Which Only the Facts are Wrong - Hubert de Castella's les Squatters Australiens (1861) C. B. Thornton-Smith , 1985 single work criticism
— Appears in: Explorations : A Journal of French-Australian Connections , May no. 1 1985; (p. 3-5)
'A critical account of Hubert de Castella's book on mid-nineteenth century Victoria and its history, written to correct the negative image of Melbourne presented in Céleste de Chabrillan's Les Voleurs d'or and other contemporary books. When it comes to detail, Castella's writing is marred by factual inaccuracy and even his description of his personal experiences, although valuable and interesting in itself, tends to be unreliable.' (Editor's abstract)
1 Fulfilment in the Antipodes : Hubert de Castella's 'Les Squatters australiens' (1861) C. B. Thornton-Smith , 1984 single work criticism
— Appears in: The French-Australian Cultural Connection : Papers from a Symposium Held at the University of New South Wales, 16-17 September 1983 1984; (p. 106-117)
2 Analytical Checklist of First-hand Accounts in French of Colonial Australia with Details of Published English Translations C. B. Thornton-Smith , 1982 single work bibliography
— Appears in: Margin , no. 9 1982; (p. 1-27)
2 1 y separately published work icon Notes d'un Vigneron Australien Charles Hubert de Castella , ( trans. C. B. Thornton-Smith with title Notes of an Australian Vine Grower ) Melbourne : Mast Gully Press , 1979 Z1101778 1882 single work autobiography
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