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129:; 18 June 1855 – 18 February 1913) was at the turn of the nineteenth century, the most prolific, significant, and internationally renowned Australian-born writer of the South Pacific region. Having lived and worked among Pacific Islands and Islanders as a trader, ship's supercargo, and villager for some two decades, learning languages and observing natural and cultural life, Becke was prompted by J F Archibald of
149:, son of Frederick Becke, Clerk of Petty Sessions and his wife Caroline Matilda, née Beilby. Both parents were born in England. The ninth of twelve children, the young Becke found walking the coastal headlands and beaches of his region, often in the company of local Australian Aboriginal people, along with sailing the local waters, much more interesting than formal schooling. However, the family moved to
35:
512:, "who taught me the secrets of condensation and simplicity of language" Once having learned this, Becke had a wealth of experience to draw upon and, though there was inevitably some monotony of theme, he wrote a very large number of stories that can still be read with interest, and show him to have been a writer of considerable ability.
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On 9 June 1896 he left Sydney for London with Nora Lois and Miss Fanny
Sabrina Long. Becke and Fanny Long had 2 daughters, Alrema (born 30 October 1897) and Niya (born 27 September 1898). Bessie obtained a divorce on the grounds of desertion on 29 October 1903.
526:
going through seven reprints between 1894 and 1924. Almost all of Becke's works were published in
America by J. B. Lippincott of Philadelphia. Becke was criticised by some reviewers for lapses in grammar and taste.
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who advanced him the sum of £200, and he remained in Europe for around 15 years, during which time a large number of collections of short stories and a few novels and stories for boys were published.
341:. However these stories must be read with caution as the line between fact and fiction-writing is unclear. Becke's experiences in the Pacific provided most of the material for Becke's stories.
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In 1869, Becke travelled to San
Francisco with his brother William Vernon and was away for nineteen months. At 16 years of age, Becke was a stowaway on a ship bound for
366:, Becke wrote to Browne protesting at the use of his manuscript without any significant change, and without attribution of Becke's contribution of the manuscript.
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he took a job as a book-keeper in the store of Mrs Mary
Mcfarlane which he held until some time after December 1872. Under orders of Mrs Mcfarlane, Becke sailed a
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Becke was in Sydney again in the middle of 1909 and died of cancer there on 18 February 1913, working up until his death. About 30 of Becke's books are listed in
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to write down his experiences, eventually becoming a popular and respected author of short stories, novellas, novels, as well as historic and ethnographic works.
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Becke was fairly paid by the magazines for his stories, but his books were always sold outright and never on a royalty basis, he was not a wealthy man.
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1131:. Melbourne: Hill of Content. The pioneering biography, including the first complete bibliography of his writings and criticism of his works.
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Becke had said that any literary success he had achieved was due entirely to the training received from the editor of
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with six other volumes written in collaboration with Walter J. Jeffrey. He was survived by his wife and a daughter.
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late in 1885 and on 10 February 1886 married Mary
Elizabeth (Bessie) Maunsell, the daughter of Colonel Maunsell, of
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was unfavourably received in
America because of its subject matter; J. B. Lippincott also refused to publish
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448:, a novelette, was published in Australia in 1895; followed by a further collection of stories,
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243:, where he married Nelea Tikena. The stories that Louis Becke set in the Ellice Islands are:
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Becke's earliest writing on Hayes was published, without attribution to Becke, in the novel
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rescued Becke and the others. Becke was later arrested for piracy, but was acquitted in
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196:, until the ship was wrecked on 15 March 1874 during a storm while in Lele harbour at
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912:
The Lives and Times of
Resident Traders in Tuvalu: An Exercise in History from Below
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James A. Mitchener & A. Grove Day (1957). "Louis Beck, Adventurer and writer".
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and paid Becke for his recollections of "Bully" Hayes. Following publication of
212:, was employed at Ravenswood station and from 1878–79 worked as a bank clerk in
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He died on 18 February 1913 at the Hotel York in Sydney and was buried in the
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acquiring a knowledge of the customs and beliefs of the islanders and meeting
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to escape with a woman betrothed to a
Niutaon chief, which ends in tragedy.
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Becke went to London about the beginning of 1896, helped by
Archibald and
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The
Settlers of Karossa Creek and Other Stories of Australian Bush Life
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appearing in the edition of 6 May 1893. A collection of these stories,
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His writings were of variable quality, but have been compared to
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231:) working with the Liverpool firm of John S. de Wolf and Co. on
925:"The Strange Adventures of James Shervinton: And Other Stories"
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by November 1882. For the next ten years Becke moved about the
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235:, until the trading-station was destroyed later that year in a
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The Strange Adventure of James Shervinton and Other Stories
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In January 1892 Becke returned to Sydney and persuaded by
392:; then in 1909 the family travelled to Sydney, Australia.
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that describes a shark attack at the Tia Kau reef between
870:
Reminiscences - Alfred Restieaux Part 2 (Pacific Islands)
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on 17 January 1874. Becke remained as a passenger on the
1106:(36 (3 September 1958)), Sydney: ABC, nla.obj-1447170477
1027:. Melbourne: Hill of Content. pp. 15 & 132–146.
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By Rock and Pool, On an Austral Shore, and Other Stories
377:. On 9 November 1888 his daughter, Nora Lois, was born.
967:
A. Grove Day (1967). "Bully Hayes and His Supercargo".
940:"Bully Hayes - Pacific pirate : truth or fiction?"
872:. National Library of New Zealand, MS-Papers-0061-079A.
1309:, A 1372/vols. 1-2 , A 1373 , A 1374 , A 1391 , A 1807
786:
Admiral Phillip : The Founding of New South Wales
538:
His life was the subject of a 1958 ABC radio feature
1051:. Melbourne: Hill of Content. pp. 16 & 146.
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caused him to lose all he had; Becke then worked in
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The Pearl Divers of Roncador Reef and Other Stories
395:On 7 September 1910 he was elected a member of the
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The Wreck Of The Leonora: A Memory Of "Bully" Hayes
153:, Sydney in 1867 and Becke was further educated at
522:received both good reviews and strong sales; with
1080:A. Grove Day (1967). "Adventures in Assessment".
1062:A. Grove Day (1967). "Adventures in Assessment".
1336:
1002:"Louis Becke, the bulletin and by reef and palm"
1084:. Melbourne: Hill of Content. pp. 138–139.
1066:. Melbourne: Hill of Content. pp. 132–136.
971:. Melbourne: Hill of Content. pp. 100–103.
723:Bully Hayes : Buccaneer, and Other Stories
632:The Ebbing of the Tide : South Sea Stories
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239:. In February 1881 he opened his own store in
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356:'Rolf Boldrewood'. Browne was the author of
220:is set in a mining camp in North Queensland.
157:, although he still preferred to go fishing.
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1425:20th-century Australian short story writers
1415:19th-century Australian short story writers
1455:People educated at Fort Street High School
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575:Tom Wallis : A Tale of the South Seas
569:The Mutineer: A Romance of Pitcairn Island
542:where the author was played by Bob Moore.
533:The Mutineer: A Romance of Pitcairn Island
327:The Strange Adventures of James Shervinton
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989:. Melbourne: Hill of Content. p. 40.
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263:that describes an attempt by a trader on
208:at age 19. Then he tried his luck at the
644:Rodman the Boatsteerer and Other Stories
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1136:Becke, George Lewis (Louis) (1855–1913)
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662:Yorke the Adventurer, and Other Stories
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223:From about April 1880 Becke was in the
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247:that describes a fishing expedition,
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1370:Australian people of English descent
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1265:Works by or about George Lewis Becke
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444:, was published in England in 1894;
1375:Australian male short story writers
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938:Miller, Simon (12 September 2013).
557:The Mystery of the Laughlin Islands
310:that Becke later used his stories.
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1323:Louis Becke (George Louis Becke),
1312:Louis Becke (George Louis Becke),
1301:Louis Becke (George Louis Becke),
1162:Dictionary of Australian Biography
1141:Australian Dictionary of Biography
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384:In 1908 he and his family went to
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1360:20th-century Australian novelists
1355:19th-century Australian novelists
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993:
914:, (1987) 10(2) Pacific Studies 73
650:Ridan the Devil and Other Stories
1390:Colony of New South Wales people
1329:State Library of New South Wales
1318:State Library of New South Wales
1307:State Library of New South Wales
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794:with Walter James Jeffrey (1899)
788:with Walter James Jeffrey (1899)
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686:Chinkie's Flat and Other Stories
676:with Walter James Jeffrey (1901)
571:with Walter James Jeffrey (1898)
565:with Walter James Jeffrey (1896)
397:Royal Society of New South Wales
1385:19th-century Australian writers
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792:The Naval Pioneers of Australia
750:with William Derrincourt (1891)
582:Edward Barry: South Sea Pearler
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452:, which was published in 1896.
430:began to contribute stories to
348:(1894), which was published by
1182:New International Encyclopedia
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607:The Adventures of a Supercargo
1:
850:. Melbourne: Hill of Content.
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613:The Adventures of Louis Blake
270:Later in 1881 a shipwreck on
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1395:Writers from New South Wales
245:The Fisher Folk of Nukufetau
200:. It was seven months until
7:
1280:(public domain audiobooks)
1274:Works by George Lewis Becke
1260:Project Gutenberg Australia
1192:"Becke, George Lewis"
1176:"Becke, George Louis"
944:State Library Of Queensland
767:Notes From My South Sea Log
668:Tessa and the Trader's Wife
317:George Lewis Becke, c. 1900
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1471:
1450:People from Port Macquarie
1146:Melbourne University Press
754:Wild Life in Southern Seas
436:, the first of which was '
249:The Rangers of the Tia Kau
1365:Australian male novelists
729:Tales from the South Seas
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335:Concerning "Bully" Hayes
1231:Louis Becke (1859–1913)
900:. Secker & Warburg.
620:Short story collections
540:Becke Of The South Seas
350:Thomas Alexander Browne
261:Kennedy the Boatsteerer
218:Nell of Mulliner's Camp
155:Fort Street High School
1198:Encyclopedia Americana
1127:Day, A. Grove (1967).
1037:Bulletin, 27 Feb 1913.
1000:Tiffin, Chris (2012).
704:Sketches from Normandy
589:Breachley, Black Sheep
483:Robert Louis Stevenson
450:The Ebbing of the Tide
406:near to the graves of
318:
214:Townsville, Queensland
1167:Angus & Robertson
1157:"Becke, George Lewis"
1047:A. Grove Day (1967).
1023:A. Grove Day (1967).
985:A. Grove Day (1967).
846:A. Grove Day (1967).
773:The Call of the South
499:Australian Literature
331:Captain "Bully" Hayes
316:
210:Palmer River goldrush
182:William "Bully" Hayes
1380:Expatriates in Samoa
1256:Works by Louis Becke
1246:Works by Louis Becke
1237:Works by Louis Becke
927:. T. F. Unwin. 1902.
735:South Sea Supercargo
674:The Tapu of Banderah
563:A First Fleet Family
489:Late life and legacy
1405:History of Kiribati
1148:, 1979, pp 238–239.
898:Rascals in Paradise
868:Restieaux, Alfred.
717:Neath Austral Skies
388:, New Zealand, via
329:and other stories:
188:. Beck arrived at
1435:Australian sailors
1410:Oceania in fiction
1227:Dirk HR Spennemann
692:Under Tropic Skies
520:Ebbing of the Tide
369:Becke returned to
364:A Modern Buccaneer
359:Robbery Under Arms
346:A Modern Buccaneer
321:Becke wrote about
319:
141:Becke was born at
123:George Lewis Becke
116:Nora, Niya, Alrema
27:George Lewis Becke
1400:History of Tuvalu
1296:Archival holdings
1241:Project Gutenberg
1217:The full text of
1114:– via Trove
742:Prose collections
404:Waverley Cemetery
180:to deliver it to
120:
119:
108:Fanny Sabina Long
16:Australian author
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1445:Maritime writers
1325:Papers 1881-1912
1314:Papers 1880-1913
1303:Papers 1880-1905
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1269:Internet Archive
1220:By Reef and Palm
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748:Old Convict Days
626:By Reef and Palm
524:By Reef and Palm
516:By Reef and Palm
495:E. Morris Miller
442:By Reef and Palm
438:Tis in the Blood
300:Marshall Islands
296:Caroline Islands
184:, the notorious
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529:His Native Wife
510:J. F. Archibald
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475:Herman Melville
471:Rudyard Kipling
457:William Macleod
446:His Native Wife
428:J. F. Archibald
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418:Literary career
371:New South Wales
288:Gilbert Islands
276:Gilbert Islands
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73:(1913-02-18)
52:18 June 1855
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1350:1913 deaths
1345:1855 births
1320:, MLMSS 248
1129:Louis Becke
1082:Louis Becke
1064:Louis Becke
1049:Louis Becke
1025:Louis Becke
987:Louis Becke
969:Louis Becke
848:Louis Becke
780:Non-fiction
601:Tom Gerrard
595:Helen Adair
323:Bully Hayes
282:and was in
280:New Britain
272:Beru Island
202:HMS Rosario
186:blackbirder
127:Louis Becke
97:writer and
95:short story
85:, Australia
62:, Australia
1339:Categories
1331:, Safe 1/8
1250:Faded Page
1165:. Sydney:
1100:ABC Weekly
1096:"No title"
799:References
352:under the
190:Mili Atoll
178:Mili Atoll
137:Early life
48:1855-06-18
354:pseudonym
257:Nanumanga
241:Nukufetau
233:Nanumanga
1278:LibriVox
1252:(Canada)
1229:(2000).
1155:(1949).
1110:16 March
1006:Kunapipi
386:Auckland
206:Brisbane
113:Children
99:novelist
1267:at the
1201:. 1920.
1185:. 1905.
274:in the
253:Nanumea
237:cyclone
194:Leonora
775:(1908)
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756:(1897)
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731:(1929)
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551:Novels
304:palagi
284:Majuro
265:Niutao
259:, and
229:Tuvalu
198:Kosrae
172:, the
105:Spouse
79:Sydney
227:(now
170:ketch
164:. In
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518:and
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