Harry Heathcote of Gangoil: A Tale of Australian Bush Life
by Anthony Trollope
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Trollope's only Australian novel, Harry Heathcote of Gangoil deals with the problems facing a young sheepfarmer, or 'squatter' (modelled after Trollope's son Frederic) in outback Australia. Using conventions of the Christmas story established by Dickens in the late 1840s, the novel shows Harry Heathcote thwarting the envious ex-convict neighbors who harbor his disgruntled former employees and who attempt to set fire to his pastures. Trollope draws heavily on his knowledge of the social and show more economic conditions of bush life acquired during a year-long visit to Australia in 1871-2. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Mildly interesting story about squabbling between a sheep farmer and his neighbours in Victorian Queensland, made slightly more so because I have just read a Bill Bryson book on Australia and also in the light of the forest fires we have been having here in BC this summer. (Clearly Trollope did not regard lightning strikes as a potential source of fire.)
Nothing much really happened, although Harry's character was well-drawn and Trollope managed to fit a small romance in.
Nothing much really happened, although Harry's character was well-drawn and Trollope managed to fit a small romance in.
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19th Century Novels with Australian Settings
73 works; 1 member
Author Information
343+ Works 50,421 Members
Anthony Trollope was born in London, England on April 24, 1815. In 1834, he became a junior clerk in the General Post Office, London. In 1841, he became a deputy postal surveyor in Banagher, Ireland. He was sent on many postal missions ending up as a surveyor general in the post office outside of London. His first novel, The Macdermots of show more Ballycloran, was published in 1847. His other works included Castle Richmond, The Last Chronicle of Barset, Lady Anna, The Two Heroines of Plumplington, and The Noble Jilt. He died after suffering from a paralytic stroke on December 6, 1882. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Harry Heathcote of Gangoil: A Tale of Australian Bush Life
- Original publication date
- 1874
- People/Characters
- Harry Heathcote; Mrs Mary Heathcote; Giles Medlicot; Kate Daly; Sergeant Forrest; Mrs Growler (show all 11); Jacko; Mrs Medlicot; Karl Bender; Boscobel; The Brownbies
- Important places
- Gangoil, Queensland, Australia; Boolabong, Queensland, Australia
- First words
- Just a fortnight before Christmas, 1871, a young man, twenty-four years of age, returned home to his dinner about eight o’clock in the evening.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"That’s what I call a happy Christmas," said Harry, as the party finally parted for the night.
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Statistics
- Members
- 230
- Popularity
- 141,088
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.42)
- Languages
- English, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 45
- ASINs
- 11
