Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Swinburne University of Technology March 2016 Abstract This thesis comprises two components: a novel titled “Printer’s Ink” and an exegetical essay, “Unreal Truths: The Lies in Every Story”. These two documents together articulate my primary research question, “Does borrowing from another’s life to create a story develop a (perceived) debt to the subject in the writer’s conscience and if so, does that debt influence how the writer finally depicts the character?” Further, it addresses the subsidiary issues which arose from the writing of the artefact. These can be summed up as follows: “Does transference activated through generational family narrative impact on the writer’s ability to clearly depict an historical character with impunity?” “Printer’s Ink” is an epistolary work written from the perspective of Marion Leathem, a newspaper Proprietress in Central West New South Wales from 1879 to 1919. The epistolary genre is used to tell the life of this character in fictional biographic style through the medium of her letters to family, business associates and friends. The novel illustrates how epistolary narrative and historical fiction can recreate a life through the emotional connection of self as "other" by allowing the psychoanalytic phenomena of transference and countertransference to filter the writing through the psyche of the writer’s unconscious mind. The exegesis discusses the theories, methodologies and fictional techniques utilised in the artefact through the prisms of autoethnography and historiography. As such, it deploys the modes of both research led practice and practice led research. “Unreal Truths” reflects on the works of historical biographic fiction and epistolary non-fiction of the Victorian era using archival documents and published works by real women writers to locate epistolarity within the parameters of Australian colonial and postcolonial times. - ii - Printers Ink and Unreal Truths © Diane Murray The thesis extends the scholarly discourse which relates to the internal dialogue between the subject and the author, and explores how the psychological paradigms of transference, countertransference, post memory and empathy determine the final form of the artefact through self-reflexive practices and strategies. This work provides research and resolutions that have eluded significant scholarly inquiry thus far on the use of self-analysis as a tool in the production of authentic narrative. - iii - Printers Ink and Unreal Truths © Diane Murray Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for their support in the completion of this project and PhD Submission. Firstly, my Principal Supervisor, Associate Professor Dominique Hecq for her consistent and unfailing assistance, inspiration and belief in Marion and in me, that we would eventually tell our stories. Dominique is a woman of great skill, great patience and great intelligence and I have been constantly humbled by her faith and encouragement. To Professor Josie Arnold my eternal thanks for her initial belief and encouragement which allowed me to undertake this project and for her ongoing supply of books, information and feedback as the project progressed. Josie truly is a wonderful woman of letters. It is my wish that every candidate should have two such talented women to guide their journey. At Swinburne University, my virtual home, I have been blessed with amazingly supportive colleagues who have sustained me on line and in person along the way. I thank Dr Glenice Whitting, Carol Anne Croker, Lydia Fucsko, Dr Mark Carthew, Dr Carolyn Beasley, Dr Wendy Dunn, Dr Rachel Le Rossignol and Barbara Malpass Edwards for their enduring friendship. It may have been a roller coaster ride, but at least we all screamed together. Further thanks to Dr Rachel Le Rossignol for her superb and mindful editing of this thesis and her extraordinary attention to detail. To my first writing teacher, the inspiring and eloquent Kate Llewellyn: thank you for setting me on this path and showing me the great joy that writing is. For assistance with experiential research I would like to acknowledge Des Barrett, Rew Hanks, Elizabeth Hunter and Jill Chapman of Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum for letting me see a real Albion Printing Press in operation. For family history research, I am indebted to the family history groups and historical societies of Tumut, Wagga Wagga, Gundagai and - iv - Printers Ink and Unreal Truths © Diane Murray Parkes, with particular thanks to Catherine McKenzie, the research officer at Molong Historical Society, for her wonderful knowledge and assistance. I am indebted to Bettie Elworthy for her book Devon to Down Under which helped me so much with family research. To Dr David Howsam, who unwittingly sent me along the exegetal route of transference and countertransference; I am grateful for your assistance, skill and empathy in all things psychological. Thank you for letting me plunder your books, your knowledge and your time. I am eternally grateful to Jamie le Rossignol for designing Marion’s own flourish and to Nathalie Danks for the fabulous title page. It is impossible to devote such a large part of one’s life to a project such as this without the support of friends and family for they make this work possible through their love and encouragement. You all know who you are – you have my thanks and love. My partner Chris Morris and my children Nathalie Danks and Hayden Danks have been by my side all the way on this journey and supported me with their love and empathy. My mother June Marion Murray has been a wealth of knowledge on all things family and has listened to my excited discoveries at all hours of the day and night as if she wasn’t bored. Mona Davis and Gloria Smith have been a stimulus for so much of this work and I am so grateful to have met them. Vale Gloria. To the female ascendants and descendants of Marion Leathem, who have all played their roles in this story; I am honoured to be part of such an amazing heritage of exceptional women. I especially acknowledge Jeanne McLean, the original genealogist, Jessie Boehm, Alice Leathem and Marion Phillips for keeping all these memories intact. And lastly to Molly whose birth in 2009 was the catalyst for finding out so much about Marion through my own writing. Molly, I hope you will one day appreciate all the incredible women who have pioneered your journey. - v - Printers Ink and Unreal Truths © Diane Murray Declaration I declare that this Artefact and Thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award to the candidate of any other degree or diploma, except where due reference is made in the text of the examinable outcome To the best of my knowledge, it contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text of the examinable outcome. Photos used are from family archives and to the best of my knowledge do not need permission for use from any other party. Document formatting and proof reading was conducted by Diane Murray and Chris Morris and editing was undertaken by Dr Rachel Le Rossignol in accordance with the Australian Standards for Editing Practice (ASEP) for research students’ theses and dissertations. Signed Diane Murray May 2016 - vi - Printers Ink and Unreal Truths © Diane Murray Dedication For my father Noel Murray who always believed in me And for Chris who I hope always will. And of course, For Marion. - vii - Printers Ink and Unreal Truths © Diane Murray Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................... iv Declaration ................................................................................................ vi Dedication ................................................................................................. vii List of Images ............................................................................................. x Introduction ............................................................................................... 11 PRINTERS INK ............................................................................................ 18 Unreal Truths: The Lies in Every Story ....................................................... 306 Chapter One: The Living Epistle ............................................................. 306 1. From Research to Writing a Family Biography .......................... 306 2. A Life in Letters – Epistolarity as a Mode of Biography .............. 310 3. The Relationship of Letters and Autobiographic Writing ............ 316 Chapter Two: Sources Used for the Exegesis ........................................ 319 1. Enmeshing Research, Fiction and History. ................................ 319 2. Biography and History: History Creeps In .................................. 323 3. Stepping into the Character ....................................................... 325 4. Retaining the Past: Family Stories, Archives and Letters to Home .................................................................................................. 326 5. The Authenticity of Letters: Contemporaneous Details as Research and Story ................................................................... 331 6. Epistolary Fiction and Their Discourses ..................................... 338 7. Finding the Subject’s Authentic