Joseph Furphy
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Joseph Furphy September 26, 1843–September 13, 1912, is widely regarded as the "Father of the Australian novel". He mostly wrote under the pseudonym Tom Collins, and was extremely popular in Australia during the late 19th century. Furphy is best known for his book Such is Life.
Furphy's popularity may have influenced the usage of the Australian slang word furphy, meaning a "tall story". However, scholars consider it more likely that the word originated with water carts, produced in large numbers by J. Furphy & Sons, a company owned by Joseph's brother John.
Furphy was born in Yering, Victoria. His father was a tenant farmer from Tanderagee, County Armagh, Ireland who emigrated to Australia in 1840.[1]
Such is Life is a fictional account of the life of rural dwellers, including bullock drivers, squatters and itinerant travellers, in southern New South Wales and Victoria, during the 1880s.
The book comprises a series of loosely interwoven stories of the various people encountered by the narrator as he travels about the countryside. At times the prose is difficult to understand because of the use of Australian vernacular and Furphy's attempt to convey the accents of Scottish and Chinese personalities. This novel nevertheless provides an insight into the character of rural dwellers in Australia in the latter half of the 19th century.
The title of Such is Life is said to be derived from Ned Kelly's last words.
In 1905, Furphy moved to Western Australia, where his sons were living. He built a house at Swanbourne, which is now the headquarters of the West Australian branch of the Fellowship of Australian Writers.
