Mary Gaunt

Born in Victoria in 1861, Mary Gaunt became known as an Australian novelist who also wrote from direct experience of travel. She published fiction as well as travel writing, and her books drew on long journeys through places including the West Indies, West Africa, China, and Europe.

Gaunt’s life was notably independent for her time. After beginning her writing career in Australia, she spent much of her adult life abroad, turning observation and movement into material for her books. That firsthand experience gave her writing a strong sense of place and helped set her apart from more homebound novelists of her era.

She died in 1942. Today, she is remembered as part of the early generation of Australian writers who connected colonial Australia to a much wider world, bringing adventure, travel, and an international outlook into their work.