"The Golden Shanty" is a humorous short story by Australian writer Edward Dyson. It was first published in the 24 December 1887 issue of The Bulletin,[1] and later included in the author's short story collection, Below and On Top, and in many short story anthologies.[2] It was originally published under the title "The Profitable Pub". It is also known by the title "A Golden Shanty".[2]
| "The Golden Shanty" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Edward Dyson | |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Publication | |
| Published in | The Bulletin |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Media type | |
| Publication date | 24 December 1887 |
Plot summary
editThe Shamrock Hotel stands on an abandoned goldfield near Ballarat in Victoria. It is owned by Irish-Australian publication Michael Doyle. After some local Chinese fossickers offer him £50 for the building, which he accepts, Doyle discovers that the hotel is made from high-yielding, gold-bearing clay bricks.
Further publications
edit- A Golden Shanty: Australian Stories and Sketches in Prose and Verse, Bulletin, 1890[3]
- Below and On Top, George Robertson, 1898
- The Golden Shanty, George Robertson, 1911
- Australian Short Stories edited by George Mackaness, J. M. Dent, 1928
- The Bulletin, 1 February 1950[4]
- Favourite Australian Stories edited by Colin Thiele, Rigby, 1963
- The Golden Shanty, Angus and Robertson, 1963
- Short Stories of Australia: The Lawson Tradition edited by Douglas Stewart, Angus and Robertson, 1967
- Best Australian Short Stories edited by Douglas Stewart and Beatrice Davis, Lloyd O' Neill, 1971
- It Could Be You edited by Hal Porter, Rigby, 1972
- The Penguin Best Australian Short Stories edited by Mary Lord, Penguin, 1991
- The Penguin Book of 19th Century Australian Literature edited by Michael Ackland, Penguin, 1993
- From Yellow Earth to Eucalypt: Stories and Poems from China and Australia edited by Neil Whitfield, Longman, 1995
The story was also reprinted in a number of Australian newspapers.
Critical reception
edit- The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature calls the story "one of Australia's most famous goldfields stories", and then goes on to state: "Despite its humour, 'A Golden Shanty' reflects the hostility that existed between white men and the Chinese on the goldfields.'"[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ ""A Profitable Pub" by Edward Dyson". The Bulletin, 24 December 1887, pp5-6. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Austlit — "The Golden Shanty" by Edward Dyson". Austlit. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "A Golden Shanty: Australian Stories and Sketches in Prose and Verse (Bulletin)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ ""A Profitable Pub" by Edward Dyson". The Bulletin, 1 February 1950, pp18-20. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature edited by Wilde, Hooton and Andrews, 2nd edition, p300