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Contents
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The Pearl Divers of Roncador Reef,
single work
novella
Three men, a doctor, a prospector and a sailor, have all been the victims of misfortune. The doctor learns of Roncador Reef, rich in pearl shell, from his servant, a Solomon Islander who was abandoned on the reef by a labour recruiting ship. The three men purchase a ship and set out to seek their fortunes.
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Jim Trollope and Myself : Or, A Long Tramp on An Austral Shore,
single work
autobiography
Becke describes a leisurely journey up the coast of N.S.W., which he undertakes while recovering from malaria. At Camden Haven he meets a young boy who is the son of a man who knew Becke when he was a child. The boy asks if he can accompany him. They discover a patch of black sand containing gold and begin to mine it, but have to hide their activities from two rival fossickers. When Becke meets up with a stockman who was a childhood friend the three of them set out on a prospecting expedition which proves more than satisfactory.
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'For the Benefit of Sailors' Kids',
single work
short story
A party of men from a ship who are sheltering from bad weather near Cape Tribulation set off on a hunting trip up an unnamed river. They discover the remains of two murdered men who appear to be those of two prospectors known to have been robbing and killing Chinese prospectors. The men collect a large amount of gold from the campsite, but have difficulty deciding what to do with it.
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The 'Manurua' and the 'Marguerite' : A Tale of Two 'Sharkers',
single work
short story
Two trading ships collecting shark fins battle over the same bay.
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A 'Blackbirding' Incident,
single work
short story
The crew of a labour recruiting ship foils a plan to steal their 'recruits'.
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A Strange Rencontre,
single work
short story
While walking from Macleay River Heads to Port Macquarie, Becke makes a detour to visit an abandoned selection and meets a young woman alone in the bush. It is not until some time later that he learns her dramatic story.
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'Crowley and Drake, Limited',
single work
short story
A ship's captain offers an unemployed supercargo a business proposition to retrieve a cargo of sandalwood that has been hidden in a cave for thirty years. However, they are not the only ones seeking to retrieve the cargo.
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Nerida, the Maid of Suwarrow,
single work
short story
The narrator joins a ship's captain and his daughter on an expedition to recover a lost cargo of pearls and pearlshell. They are accompanied by two treacherous crew members who embark on a murderous endeavour to steal the pearls.
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My South Sea Gardens,
single work
autobiography
Becke describes how he grew European vegetables in various locations in the Pacific.
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A Prospecting Party in North Queensland,
single work
short story
Becke describes life in a prospecting camp.
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A Quick Vengeance,
single work
short story
The narrator relates the story of the hanging of two men in a remote area of the Far North Queensland coast.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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y
Writing the Colonial Adventure : Race, Gender and Nation in Anglo-Australian Popular Fiction, 1875-1914
Oakleigh
:
Cambridge University Press
,
1995
Z480378
1995
single work
criticism
'This book is an exploration of popular late nineteenth-century texts that show Australia - along with Africa, India and the Pacific Islands - to be a preferred site of imperial adventure. Focusing on the period from the advent of the new imperialism in the 1870s to the outbreak of World War I, Robert Dixon looks at a selection of British and Australian writers. Their books, he argues, offer insights into the construction of empire, masculinity, race, and Australian nationhood and identity. Writing the Colonial Adventure shows that the genre of adventure/romance was highly popular throughout this period. The book examines the variety of themes within their narrative form that captured many aspects of imperial ideology. In considering the broader ramifications of these works, Professor Dixon develops an original approach to popular fiction, both for its own sake and as a mode of cultural history.' (Introduction)
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The Unfinished Commonwealth : Boundaries of Civility in Popular Australian Fiction of the First Commonwealth Decade
1994
single work
criticism
— Appears in: De-scribing Empire : Post-colonialism and Textuality 1994; (p. 131-140) -
The Boundaries of Civility : Colonial Discourse in Popular Fiction of the First Commonwealth Decade
1992
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Reconnoitres : Essays in Australian Literature in Honour of G. A. Wilkes 1992; (p. 91-102)
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The Boundaries of Civility : Colonial Discourse in Popular Fiction of the First Commonwealth Decade
1992
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Reconnoitres : Essays in Australian Literature in Honour of G. A. Wilkes 1992; (p. 91-102) -
y
Writing the Colonial Adventure : Race, Gender and Nation in Anglo-Australian Popular Fiction, 1875-1914
Oakleigh
:
Cambridge University Press
,
1995
Z480378
1995
single work
criticism
'This book is an exploration of popular late nineteenth-century texts that show Australia - along with Africa, India and the Pacific Islands - to be a preferred site of imperial adventure. Focusing on the period from the advent of the new imperialism in the 1870s to the outbreak of World War I, Robert Dixon looks at a selection of British and Australian writers. Their books, he argues, offer insights into the construction of empire, masculinity, race, and Australian nationhood and identity. Writing the Colonial Adventure shows that the genre of adventure/romance was highly popular throughout this period. The book examines the variety of themes within their narrative form that captured many aspects of imperial ideology. In considering the broader ramifications of these works, Professor Dixon develops an original approach to popular fiction, both for its own sake and as a mode of cultural history.' (Introduction)
-
The Unfinished Commonwealth : Boundaries of Civility in Popular Australian Fiction of the First Commonwealth Decade
1994
single work
criticism
— Appears in: De-scribing Empire : Post-colonialism and Textuality 1994; (p. 131-140)