The only Anthony Trollope tale set in Australia, ‘Harry Heathcote of Gangoil’ is a short story which follows the troubles of young sheep farmer Harry as he attempts to thwart his jealous and villainous former neighbours. Trollope drew on knowledge of Australian bush life he acquired during a year long trip there in 1871, and on the experiences of his son Frederic who had emigrated to Australia to become a sheep farmer himself. Set around the Christmas period this is a quick, fun read.
Anthony Trollope (1815 – 1882) was a Victorian writer and author of 47 novels. He also wrote an autobiography, short stories and plays, travel articles, reviews and lectures. A prolific writer, he made no secret of the fact that money was his motivation for writing – an admission which raised eyebrows among his literary contemporaries at the time. The amount of works Trollope authored are testament to his belief in hard work. His first successful novel was The Warden followed by its sequel, Barchester Towers. The Chronicles of Barsetshire are perhaps his most well-known series of novels, though many of his works have been adapted for TV and radio, starring many familiar faces such as Alan Rickman, David Tennant, Bill Nighy and Tom Hollander. Alongside his literary career, Trollope also worked for some time for the Post Office and is credited with the introduction of the iconic post box to Britain. A memorial to Anthony Trollope was unveiled in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey in 1993.
