A recent report from The Australia Institute has painted a grim picture of employment in Australia. We’re overworked, underemployed, and most of the Australian workforce is struggling to find balance between work and leisure.
In 2012, we collectively accrued 128 million days of annual leave – 350,000 years of holidays, just sitting on balance sheets, unused. So much for our reputation as happy-go-lucky sun-bronzed layabouts.
Australia, summer is upon us. It is time to take a break. Pick up a book. Plan a holiday. Or, you can do both. You don’t have to go far to take a literary break – Australian literature has plenty of beautiful settings in which to stage a novel, or a holiday.
Some domestic destinations for day trips, beach breaks and even island escapes, straight off the page:
Victoria
Mystery novel Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay may not be your first thought when linking Australian literature and holiday spots, but the story of three schoolgirls who disappear on St Valentine’s Day in 1900 is set in some of the most picturesque countryside in central Victoria. Close enough to Melbourne for a day trip, the annual Picnic at Hanging Rock event will be in February next year – plenty of time to plan a weekend break.
Western Australia
The former whaling outpost of Albany is the setting for both The Turning by Tim Winton and That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott, and when you look out over the heads at the beautiful ocean views it isn’t hard to see why. Set in different centuries, the novels portray vastly different impressions of the coastal town. For a long time Albany was a sad reminder of our cruel whaling history, but now the whales are coming back, and you can often sight them off the coast.
Tasmania
A visit to the penal settlement of Port Arthur inspired Marcus Clarke to write For The Term of His Natural Life in 1870. Partly based on the true story of convict Alexander Pearce, the novel encapsulates the horror of criminal punishment in early Australia, and includes accounts of mistreatment, as well as escape, cannibalism, love and death.
The history of Port Arthur is fraught with tragedy, but it is also one of the most scenic and evocative historical sites, and is World Heritage listed.
Queensland
Carpenteria by Alexis Wright is set in the country surrounding the Gulf of Carpenteria in northern Queensland, and tells the story of the inhabitants of the fictional town of Desperance. The Gulf country is as beautiful and harsh as the novel, and is a destination for only the most intrepid of adventurers.
New South Wales
So many important Australian books have been set in and around Sydney and NSW that it is almost impossible to pick a favourite. Historical novels give a new insight into places that many locals traverse every day without a second thought. Ruth Park’s oeuvre is an ideal reminder of Sydney’s rich cultural heritage; The Harp in the South andPoor Man’s Orange are set in what were once the slums of Surry Hills, now a gentrified inner city restaurant precinct, and Playing Beatie Bow gives an account of two different centuries of Australians living in The Rocks.
For New South Welshmen wanting to venture further afield, draw inspiration from Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner. One of the most tragic scenes in Australian literature occurs on the Yarrahappini sheep station. Mount Yarrahapinni on the mid north coast of NSW might not be the site of Judy’s accident, but the mountain and surrounding rainforest would be an outstanding literary holiday tribute.
Anne Treasure works in communications, is a recent survivor of the book industry, and exists mainly on the Internet.
