Background
Marcus Clarke was born in London on 24 April 1846, the only child of William Hislop Clarke and Amelia Elizabeth née Mathews. In 1862 William was sent to Northumberland House because of a mental breakdown.
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(LARGE PRINT EDITION! For the Term of His Natural Life,...)
LARGE PRINT EDITION! For the Term of His Natural Life, written by Marcus Clarke, was published in the Australian Journal between 1870 and 1872 (as His Natural Life), appearing as a novel in 1874. It is the best known novelisation of life as a convict in early Australian history. Described as a "ripping yarn", and at times relying on seemingly implausible coincidences, the story follows the fortunes of Rufus Dawes, a young man transported for a murder which he did not commit.
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(Format Paperback Subject History)
Format Paperback Subject History
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Marcus Clarke was born in London on 24 April 1846, the only child of William Hislop Clarke and Amelia Elizabeth née Mathews. In 1862 William was sent to Northumberland House because of a mental breakdown.
Marcus Clarke was educated at Highgate School, where his classmates included Gerard Manley Hopkins. At age 17 he emigrated to Australia, where his uncle, James Langton Clarke, was a county court judge.
He was at first a clerk in the Bank of Australia, but showed no business ability, and soon proceeded to learn farming at a station on the Wimmera River, Victoria.
He was already writing stories for the Australian Magazine, when in 1867 he joined the staff of The Argus in Melbourne through the introduction of Dr. Robert Lewins. He briefly visited Tasmania in 1870 at the request of The Argus to experience at first hand the settings of articles he was writing on the convict period. Old Stories Retold began to appear in The Australasian from February. The following month his great novel His Natural Life commenced serialisation in the Australasian Journal. He also became secretary to the trustees of the Melbourne Athenauem and later Sub (assistant) Librarian. In 1868 he founded the Yorick Club, which soon numbered among its members the chief Australian men of letters.
The most famous of his books is For the Term of his Natural Life (Melbourne, 1874), a powerful tale of an Australian penal settlement. He also wrote The Peripatetic Philosopher (1869), a series of amusing papers reprinted from The Australasian; Long Odds (London, 1870), a novel; and numerous comedies and pantomimes, the best of which was Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. In 1869 he married the actress Marian Dunn, with whom he had six children.
For the Term of His Natural Life is a "ripping yarn", which at times relies on unrealistic coincidences. The story follows the fortunes of Rufus Dawes, a young man transported for a theft that he did not commit, from the victim of a mugging - to whom he was actually rendering assistance. The harsh and inhumane treatment meted out to the convicts, some of whom were transported for relatively minor crimes, is clearly conveyed. The conditions experienced by the convicts are graphically described. The novel was based on research by the author as well as a visit to the penal settlement of Port Arthur.
Clarke was an important literary figure in Australia, and was the centre of an important bohemian circle. Among the writers were in contact with him were Victor Daley and George Gordon McCrae.
Meanwhile his extravagance had run him into insolvency in 1874.
Dispirited, he overworked himself to the point of exhaustion.
Early in 1881 he was declared bankrupt for the second time.
In spite of his popular success, Clarke was constantly involved in pecuniary difficulties, which are said to have hastened his death at Melbourne on 2 August 1881 at the age of 35.
(LARGE PRINT EDITION! For the Term of His Natural Life,...)
(Format Paperback Subject History)
In 1869 he married the actress Marian Dunn, with whom he had six children.
