author
Atha Westbury
1838–1901
A lively storyteller of mystery, adventure, children’s tales, and poetry, this prolific late-19th-century writer became especially popular with readers in Australia and New Zealand. Much of the work first appeared in newspapers and magazines, giving the stories an energetic, serial-page momentum.
1 Audiobook
Australian fairy tales
by Atha Westbury
About the author
Born Frank Atha Westbury on May 5, 1838, he wrote under the names Atha and Atha Westbury. He is remembered as a popular and highly prolific author of mystery and adventure fiction, children’s stories, and verse, with a strong readership in Australia and New Zealand.
A large share of his fiction was published in serial form in newspapers and journals between 1879 and 1905, which helps explain the brisk, suspenseful feel often associated with his work. He also wrote for younger readers, and his name remains linked with late-19th-century popular fiction and fairy-tale writing.
Westbury died on September 24, 1901. Although not as widely known today as some of his contemporaries, he left behind a substantial body of entertaining work that reflects the tastes of colonial-era readers and the rich magazine culture of the period.