Australian historical fiction?

[Rebecca]

I'd love any suggestions for historical fiction set in Australia, especially post-1900.

[Lasse]

One of my favourite books is if you havent read it yet I think you should.

[blueemerald]

Hello-here are some HF Australia books I've really enjoyed. Many involve the early colonization. (Sorry for the visual mess-I don't know how to link the book cover with Goodreads page).

"The Australian Trilogy" (omnibus comprised of "The Potato Factory", "Tommo & Hawk" and "Solomon's Song") by Bryce Courtenay.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14...
"Morgan's Run" by Colleen McCullough http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34...
"The Timeless Land" by Eleanor Dark http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18...
"Beneath The Southern Cross" Judy Dunn http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/69...
"A Final Reckoning" G. A. Henty http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85...
"Poor Fellow My Country" Xavier Herbert http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16...
"Bring Larks And Heroes" by Thomas Keneally http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18...
"The Secret River" Kate Grenville http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34...
"White Earth" Andrew McGahan http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10...
"True History of the Kelly Gang" Peter Carey http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
"Traveller's Luck" D. R. Gavin http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
"The Fortunes of Richard Mahony" Henry Handel Richardson (omnibus containing "The Felix", "The Way Home" and "Ultima Thule"). http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19...
"Scapegallows" Carol Birch http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24...
"The Drowner" Robert Drewe http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19...
"For The Term of His Natural Life" Marcus Clarke http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39...
"Gould's Book of Fish" Richard Flannagan http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14...
"Carpentaria" Alexis Wright http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63...
"Such is Life" by Joseph Furphy http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82...
"Far From Botony Bay" Rosa Jordan http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66...

[Diane S ☔]

I really enjoyed Kate Grenville books. Read them not too long ago.

[Maggie]

Try Ruth Park's books, especially The Harp in the South Trilogy. Try also Anna Jacobs,
Jackie French,
Judy Nunn,
Di Morrissey,
Nevil Shute,
Tom Kenneally
Peter FitzSimons
Peter Yeldham
Colleen McCullough,
Patricia Shaw.

Kerry Greenwood has a series of crime novels set in the early 1900's featuring Phrynne Fisher which are very popular

[Liza]

Diane wrote: "I really enjoyed Kate Grenville books. Read them not too long ago."

Kate Grenville is one of my favourite authors. I loved The Secret River and The Idea of Perfection

[Liza]

I have just received Sarah Thornhill from the Historical Novel Society, for a review, and looking forward to that one.

[Jess]

Pre-1900, but I liked Alan Garner's Strandloper, which tells the story of William Buckley, a real-life English convict who was transported to Australia, escaped, and ended up living with an Aboriginal community for over three decades.

[JC]

Also among the English convicts transported to Australia is The Potato Factory following real life convict Ikey Solomon, which I just listened to on audio and was excellently narrated.

[Chrissie]

I will be trying Cloudstreet soon.

[Geoff]

Check out Laurel Lamperd, who is a member of Goodread.

I've read a couple of hers, Wind from Danyari

and Journey from Walara.

She is a west Australian author.

[Chrissie]

The Australian author Thomas Keneally has of course written Schindler's List, which everybody recognizes, but he has written quite a few other novels, such as the The Daughters of Mars: A Novel.

[Liza]

Chrissie wrote: "I will be trying Cloudstreet soon."

I enjoyed Cloudstreet, Chrissie, but it is SO "Australian", with the lingo, humour and colloquialisms, that I'm not sure a non-Aussie will appreciate it. Interested to hear what you think of it.

[Chrissie]

Liza, I have no idea how I will react. I guess it will be an immersion course in what it is to be Australian! :0)

[Martin]

As an Australian writer of historical fiction (albeit, ironically, of Hollywood history, not Australian) I was going to weigh in here but the list that "blueemerald" provided is an excellent place to start. Personally, I didn't like "Cloudstreet" but anything by Colleen McCulloch, Bryce Courtenay, and Kate Grenville is an especially good starting point.

[Chrissie]

Liza and Martin, I am reading Cloudstreet now and it is quite an immersion course! Some of the pictures drawn are undeniable good - I am thinking of one where the two boys are in a boat on a river and the stars are reflected in the water. You just picture the beauty of it. You feel it with them. The Pickles and Lambs are something else! Parts are funny - like the talking pig. I have lots left, so I am not sure what I think yet. Some of the colloquialisms I do not understand; then I have to wait and see if other lines will clarify what happened.

[Liza]

Chrissie wrote: "Liza and Martin, I am reading Cloudstreet now and it is quite an immersion course! Some of the pictures drawn are undeniable good - I am thinking of one where the two boys are in a boat on a river ..."
It certainly is an immersion course, Chrissie! Some things I had to read twice to understand, and I'm an Aussie. But yes, fabulous lyrical prose and outstanding turns of phrase.
Yes, I would agree with Martin that Kate Grenville's works are very good. I would imagine
The Idea of Perfection might appeal the least to a non-Aussie, even though I loved this one of hers the best. However, of international appeal I would highly recommend [book:The Secret River|347698. Here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/....
I now see I've already mentioned this, and Sarah Thornhill earlier in the thread!

[Chrissie]

I have only read The Secret River by Grenville. I liked it, but it wasn't a wow for me.

I liked White Gardenia by the Australian authorBelinda Alexandra a lot. It is set not only in Australia but also China and the Philippines.