The Life and Work of George Isaacs
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Life and Work of George Isaacs Anne Elizabeth Black A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Department of English and Creative Writing, School of Humanities, Faculty of Arts, University of Adelaide April 2016 ii iii Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. v Thesis Declaration ................................................................................................................vii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... ix Introduction ......................................................................................................................... xiv Chapter 1: Youth and The Hesperus, 1825–1844 .................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: A Young Gentleman, 1844–1849 ........................................................................ 16 Chapter 3: The Last of England, 1850–1851 ......................................................................... 35 Chapter 4: Gawler and Gold, 1851–1857 .............................................................................. 49 Chapter 5: The Queen of the South, 1858–1859 .................................................................... 63 Chapter 6: The Gawler Institute, 1858–1863......................................................................... 79 Chapter 7: The Humbug Society and Number One, 1859–1863 ............................................ 94 Chapter 8: The Critic, 1862–1863 ....................................................................................... 117 Chapter 9: Melbourne and Rhyme and Prose, 1863–1865 ................................................... 140 Chapter 10: Not For Sale, 1865–1869 ................................................................................. 160 Chapter 11: Final Years in Adelaide, 1870–1876 ................................................................ 178 Chapter 12: George Isaacs’ Legacy and Significance .......................................................... 200 Appendix: A Bibliography of the Published and Unpublished Writing of George Isaacs .... 221 Bibliography ...................................................................................................................... 239 iv v Abstract The Life and Work of George Isaacs Anne Elizabeth Black This is the first comprehensive examination of the life, work and significance of the colonial writer George Isaacs, the “thorough Bohemian” who was the author of the first novel published in South Australia, The Queen of the South. Under the apt pseudonym of “A. Pendragon”, Isaacs captured the dynamic atmosphere of the colonial era in his writing, which ranged from plays to poetry and from journalism to prose. But he did not fit comfortably into colonial society. Set apart by an unconventional private life, his Jewish heritage, his fierce intelligence and his willingness to speak and write his mind, he led a surprisingly varied life across two hemispheres and two Australian colonies. Isaacs was largely forgotten after his death. This chronological biography redresses this neglect by establishing the details of his life and writing. An Appendix provides a bibliography of his published and unpublished works. Opening chapters examine Isaacs’ youth in England, with an emphasis on his first precocious publication, his enthusiasm for antiques, his influential connections, his travels and his immigration to South Australia. Following chapters discuss Isaacs’ productive years in Australia, where, despite poverty, imprisonment and chronic ill-health, he visited the Victorian goldfields, wrote plays that were performed around the world, and had great influence in Gawler. There, he was a founder of the Humbug Society, influential in the Gawler Institute and responsible for an Australian anthem. One of Isaacs’ plays, based on Frankenstein, was possibly the first published science fiction in Australia. This opinionated man left a significant imprint on his society and its literature. He did not become famous or wealthy, but his activities and his writing provide a useful counterpoint to the conventional interpretation of a successful life. As an inaugural study, The Life and Work of George Isaacs contributes another strand to our knowledge of Australian colonial literature and provides a foundation for further research. On a more intimate level, it is a paradigm of a colonial scribe—a case study of one immigrant’s struggles to live as a writer in the evolving society of colonial Australia. vi vii Thesis Declaration I certify that this work contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in my name in any university or other tertiary institution and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. In addition, I certify that no part of this work will, in the future, be used in a submission in my name for any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution without the prior approval of the University of Adelaide and where applicable, any partner institution responsible for the joint award of this degree. I give consent to this copy of my thesis, when deposited in the University Library, being made available for loan and photocopying, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I also give permission for the digital version of my thesis to be made available on the web, via the University’s digital research repository, the Library Search and also through web search engines, unless permission has been granted by the University to restrict access for a period of time. Signed: Dated: viii ix Acknowledgements I am indebted to the many people who have assisted me in my quest to revive the memory of an overlooked writer. Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Philip Butterss, who expertly guided me through years of research, writing, and many forms. His wisdom, knowledge and experience greatly enhanced my thesis, and his kindness, diligence and constant encouragement ensured that my postgraduate studies passed smoothly and enjoyably. I thank him for his wonderful support, and for the untold hours that he devoted to George Isaacs on my behalf. Professor Amanda Nettelbeck offered much-appreciated advice and also insightful comments on my draft. The staff in the Department of English and Creative Writing were always helpful. The Faculty of Arts generously supported my study with the award of the Fred Johns Scholarship for Biography, for which I am extremely grateful. I am also indebted to the University of Adelaide Press, which published a portion of my early research on Isaacs in Adelaide: A Literary City. It was my pleasure to undertake research in many fine libraries, both in Australia and overseas. I enjoyed my time in the State Library of South Australia, the repository of Isaacs’ Scrapbook, where Anthony Laube, Sharon Bubner, Margaret Southcott and staff of the Somerville Reading Room were especially helpful. Wynton Heading at the library of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia was of great assistance, as were librarians at the Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide. Anne Richards at the Gawler Public Library x kindly provided access to Gawler’s early records, plus valuable ongoing advice and friendship over the course of my studies. Staff at the Monash University Library and at the State Library of Victoria courteously facilitated my research. My fruitful study in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales was assisted by the efforts of Sue Chapman. Thanks to Colin Harris, Louise Trevelyan and Patricia Buckingham, I was able to view Samuel Isaacs’ business card and other items in Duke Humfrey’s Library in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Also in England, staff at the British Library courteously and efficiently dealt with my requests, as did librarians at the National Maritime Museum Library at Greenwich. The Australian Jewish Historical Society in Sydney provided me with useful information. Much of my research on Isaacs took place in archives and museums. I am especially grateful for the expertise of staff at the State Records of South Australia and the Public Record Office, Victoria, who located legal and other records relevant to Isaacs’ court cases and hospital admissions. Staff at the National Archives in Kew, England organized access to various useful legal documents, including the transcript that bears Isaacs’ birth date. Eve Watson, Head of Archive at the Royal Society of Arts, London, kindly responded to my query regarding Isaacs’ involvement in a catalogue. I appreciated the valuable assistance that I received from Arthur MacGregor, Francesca Jones and David Berry at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, in response to my questions about the fate of Isaacs’ jewellery and books. Natasha Awais-Dean and Alex Garrett at the British Museum provided me with wonderful information and the opportunity to closely examine the medieval rings and enamels that once belonged to my subject. Back in Australia, Dr. Georgia Hale and other staff at the Art Gallery of South Australia kindly located, photographed and arranged the viewing of a painting. I extend my warm thanks to the volunteers at the Castlemaine Historical