Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, Minnie Rowe, Ethel Jackson
Morris, May Gibbs, Pixie O'Harris and Peg Maltby are our most well known of
fairytalers but less is known of those early fairy talers of whom Ernst was
one. Approximately twelve books appeared sporadically over thirty years
between the appearance of the first fairy tale in 1870, three published in
Melbourne, one in the Victorian Gold Rush town of Ballaarat, one in Hobart and
four in Sydney and two in London by Australian authors. Twelve books is a very
small sample and it should be mentioned that there were also short stories:
fairy tales in annuals and other children's collections. There are a
number of differences between those tales written by men and those written by
women and one I explore is the difference between the articulated motive of men
and women writers. The male writers do not seem to have the same concerns about
the worth of their book while female writers seek approval and acknowledgement
and seem expectant of dismissal.
Westbury (1897:9) challenges us to read
on,
‘AUSTRALIA! Hast thou no enchanted castles within thy vast domain?’ Is
there not one gallant youth, ready armed to do battle for the fair ones,
sleeping 'neath the spell of wicked genii ? Come, youngsters, draw up your
chairs. Come, mothers, ye who live your romantic girlhood o'er again in that of
your children. Form up, gentlemen, fathers, hard men of the world, whose brows
are wrinkled with care and worry, take rank in rear of your fair helpmates.
Merchant, lock thy safe, close thy ledgers ; horny-handed sons of toil, throw
aside your implements of trade ; gather near. I am going to draw aside the
magic curtain which hides the great continent, marked on our map UNKNOWN.’
The women writers, however, tend to be
self-depreciating, humbly offering their stories to their audience. Gumsucker
(Rosalie’s Reward, 1870) begins by saying demurely,
‘Should this story be favourable received by the
little folks for who it is written, it is the Author’s intention to publish a
series of Tales, so that the merry children of the fair South may revel in
dreams of their own Fairy Lore.’ With a small audience base in Ballaarat,
perhaps this book did not sell well as there is no evidence of subsequent
books.
Desda (1871) says with humility about The Rival
Fairies,
‘The following little story was written for the
amusement of my own children. At the suggestion of several friends, I have
ventured to publish it, not with sundry misgivings as to the results of my
temerity. I cannot be blind to its many imperfections, nor do I expect the
public to be. I only appeal to their kindly hearts, and (as it is a first
attempt) beg them not to critise it too severely.’
Beatrice Wilcken (1891)offers her books to the
reading public in a humble way befitting gender roles of the era. Wilcken
confesses that under pressure from friends she has printed her stories and
says,
'I have whiled away some happy leisure hours in
writing these little stories. They were not originally intended for
publication, but I have been strongly urged by many kind friends to have them
printed. It seemed ungracious to refuse such as request, and this must be my
excuse for sending forth this little memento of my visit to Hobart and its
beautiful surroundings.’
At the end of this week I have two weeks LSL to
explore my chapter on Gender and the Publishing Industry.
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