John Lang

Born in Sydney on 19 December 1816, John Lang is often described as Australia's first native-born novelist. He studied in Sydney and later in England, trained in law, and returned briefly to Australia before moving to India in the early 1840s.

In India, he made his name not only as a novelist but also as a barrister and newspaper editor. Reliable biographical sources describe him as a lively, combative figure who founded newspapers, wrote widely about colonial life, and built a successful literary career alongside his legal work.

Lang died in Mussoorie, India, on 20 August 1864. Today he is remembered for the unusual sweep of his career: an Australian-born writer who turned his experiences across Britain, Australia, and India into fiction, journalism, and travel writing.