Dame Mary Durack
W.A. POETS FROM THE PAST
Her Poems
The Tale of the Light Roan Cow
Her Books
All About: The Story of a Black Community on Argyle Station
Chunuma
Son of Djaro
Way of the Whirlwind
The Magic Trumpet
To Ride a Fine Horse
Keep Him My Country
Kings In Grass castles
Sons In The Saddle
Swan River Saga (play)
To Be Heirs
Yagan of the Bibbulmun
Tjakamarra
Ship of Dreams (play)
Rock and the Sand
Dame Mary DurackBorn: 20 February 1913, Adelaide, S.A.
Died: 16 December 1994
Biography:
Known more as an author and historian than a poet, Mary Durack was the daughter of WA Kimberlies pioneer Michael Patrick Durack. She spent much of her childhood and early adulthood living at "Argyle" and "Ivanhoe" stations in the East Kimberley to which she returned on many occasions in later life.
Commencing writing while still in her teens, she went on to become one of WA's most well known authors. Her most famous work was her historic novels relating to her family, "Kings in Grass Castles" (1959) and its sequel, "Sons in the Saddle". She also wrote many stories of Aboriginals including "The Courteous Savage: Yagan of the Bibbulmun" and a series of children's books, many based on the life of Yagan.
She is known to have written a number of poems, although few have been published. The 2 poems here were given by her to John McMicking, to "do with as he liked". John has given me permission to include them on this website.
in 1938, at age 25, she married Capt. Horrie Miller (1893 - 1980), WA aviation pioneer. Mary and Horrie went on to have 6 children.
In 1966 Mary was awarded an OBE for her contributions to Australian literature, followed in the 1978 New year honours with a OBE Dame Commander and in 1989, a Companion of the order of Australia (AC)
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