A Sport from Hollowlog Flat

A Sport from Hollowlog Flat is a 1915 novel by Arthur Wright.[1] It consisted of a series of short stories he had published previously for various magazines.[2]

A Sport from Hollowlog Flat
AuthorArthur Wright
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
PublisherNSW Bookstall Company
Publication date
1915

Plot

A city clerk is fired due to over fondness for horse racing. He sinks lower and lower, playing two up and even trying to con a visitor from the country, the "sport" from Hollow Log Flat. However the sport takes pity on him and takes him to the bush, where the clerk redeems himself.[3]

Earlier publication

Some of the material had been published prior:

  • "The Interference of Dinan Arthur Wright": The Bulletin, 8 April vol. 30 no. 1521 1909; (p. 43-44)
  • "The Stiffening of Quandong": The Australian Town and Country Journal, 11 December vol. 75 no. 1975 1907; (p. 52)
  • "Graham's Old Man": The Bulletin (Xmas edition), 13 December vol. 27 no. 1400 1906; (p. 18)
  • "A Whirlwin": The Bulletin, 4 January vol. 27 no. 1351 1906; (p. 40)
  • "A Close Call": The Australian Town and Country Journal, 7 November vol. 73 no. 1918 1906; (p. 32)

Reception

The Sydney Morning Herald said that "Mr. Wright is quite in his element in his descriptions of construction camps, country race meetings, and tho Iniquities connected therewith, and... he gives us some graphic and occasionally humorous pictures of various phases of life outback."[4]

Theatre Adaptation
A Sport of Hollow Log Flat
Written byArthur Wright
Date premiered1927
Original languageEnglish
Genrerural comedy

Stage rights were optioned almost immediately by the Bert Bailey Company, which had enjoyed success with adaptations of Australian rural stories, and in 1916 the Company announced it would soon present a stage version of the book.[5][6][7]

However the play did not appear to be produced by Bailey. It emerged in 1927 in a production from William Ayr and his Bush Players, who had worked with E. J. Cole.[8] This production was seen in the bush by Benjamin Fuller when he was on holiday; Fuller liked it and the play transferred to Melbourne in August 1928 for a successful run.[9][10] The production then moved to Sydney and toured around Australia.[11]

One critic described the Melbourne production as "a farcical comedy on very broad lines, with little attempt at character depiction or any convincing atmosphere."[12]

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References
  1. "NEW PUBLICATIONS". Goulburn Evening Penny Post (EVENING ed.). NSW. 6 March 1915. p. 2. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "PUBLICATIONS, RECEIVED". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 16 March 1915. p. 7. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "AUSTRALIAN NOVEL". The Evening News. Sydney. 24 February 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "SOME NEW NOVELS". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 March 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "On and Off the Stage". Table Talk. Melbourne. 31 August 1916. p. 13. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "GREENROOM GOSSIP". Melbourne Punch. Melbourne. 14 September 1916. p. 42. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "AUSTRALIAN PLAYS". The Sunday Times. Sydney. 31 December 1916. p. 17. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "COLE'S DRAMATIC PLAYERS". The Canberra Times. 20 January 1927. p. 12. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "MUSIC AND DRAMA". The Argus. Melbourne. 6 August 1928. p. 15. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ""THE WHITE TERROR"". The World's News. Sydney. 24 July 1929. p. 5. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Advertising". The Evening News. Sydney. 31 October 1928. p. 4. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ""A SPORT FROM HOLLOW LOG FLAT"". Table Talk. Melbourne. 9 August 1928. p. 26. Retrieved 28 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
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