History James Crawford (playwright)

1 history

1.1 years
1.2 career, writing, associations
1.3 later years , death

history
early years

james crawford son of john oakden potter, civil engineer, , janet keer, island of arran. born in manchester, england on 6 december 1908 john oakden. crawford youngest of family 4 other brothers , sisters. crawford s mother died when eleven years old, leaving eldest sister run household, crawford s father travelled work. whilst attending school in manchester, crawford began develop interest in shakespeare taught perform instead of reading out aloud.

in 1924 crawford finished @ grammar school intention of traveling. @ young age of 16 found himself on ship destined australia, , arrived on shores in 1924. crawford had intended travel canada, however, father suggested australia because of warmer climate. crawford described younger self starry eyed idealist . once in australia, crawford worked stockman on cattle station known kamileroi . next 5 years, worked station hand in gulf country. working in gulf country alongside indigenous australian people , seeing brutal way in treated spurred crawford s passion equal rights. empathy indigenous australians can seen in quote taken interview, aborigine has been good, humane person . crawford s first brush law because gave meat (intended white people) aboriginal stockmen while worked butcher. considered himself lucky not thrown in gaol given warning police. used personal experience inspiration plays. intention of travelling around australia, crawford undertook menial work make necessary money. although time working , travelling around australia experience, crawford stated wouldn t me there .

crawford left new zealand in 1929 , stayed there until 1932. intention travel south america , head england, when boarding ship supposedly going valparaíso, landed in australia. australia going through depression forced crawford join unemployed bagman.

career, writing, associations

during 1932, crawford joined unemployed workers movement, active in protests in cairns , participated in riots in mackay. while unemployed , living @ bagman s camp in victoria park, brisbane, gave lectures on william shakespeare unemployed acquaintances. whilst based @ camp crawford introduced communist manifesto , after reading , agreeing political stand point joined communist party of australia in 1934. jim regarded himself socialist , impressed engels work origin of family , private property , state (1984). these inspirations gave jim knowledge aboriginal law , society. crawford studied science of marxism , leninism.

jim crawford helped found roving reds revue company fellow bagmen. group known proletarian players. roving reds revue company described sectarian group had ever existed in australia. group created 2 purposes; raise money unemployed workers movement , criticise australian establishment in every possible way. however, theatrical group lasted short while due competition student theatre. crawford wanted become actor, however, being told superior in playwriting began writing company. yet, crawford stated chosen become playwright roving reds known quote second soliloquy of hamlet while drunk. crawford travelled on bike around australia explain reason proletarian revolution. travels gained him nickname anarchy bull-bearing bum . while travelling, had various jobs such working on cotton farms in callide valley (queensland), cutting wood bakers ovens in new south wales, milking cows , packing tomatoes.

in 1935, crawford went melbourne stayed eleven years, excluding 5 years spent in war service. involved in groups during time in melbourne such left book club, victorian communist party, unity theatre , worker s voice, forerunner of victorian guardian. during pre-war period, worker s voice had largest circulation of communist party paper in southern hemisphere. during years worked journalist, crawford passionately helped expose struggles of times. example, helped expose spy mission of german naval submarine commander, count von luckner known yachtsman adventurer . luckner nazi travelled around world spying adolf hitler. due participation in no scrap iron imperialist japan demonstrations in melbourne, crawford spent 2 days in jail cell ned kelly incarcerated in before hung. alan marshall , crawford interviewed hewlett johnson, red dean of canterbury, worker s voice. red dean, known dr hewlett johnson, dean of canterbury in 1931 , has been described 1 of famous men in world . marshall noted crawford being outstanding journalist , 1 of best @ worker s voice.

on 8 august 1939, crawford married ursula mary hill using birth name john oakden-potter.

while working @ victorian guardian newspaper, wrote weekly column under name jim crawford. in 1940, adopted name jim crawford deed poll became well-known through weekly column. in same year, crawford had go underground when australian government outlawed communist party. because victorian guardian newspaper wrote communist issues, prohibited. crawford wrote illegal newspapers in communist follower s basements. friend cecil sharpley used deliver supplies. crawford still involved illegal newspaper continuously on run police. towards end of war discovered sharpley 1 exposed involvement newspaper. when soviet union entered war ban on communist party lifted , paper became legalised. however, due censorship of war period, paper had reduced in size.

on 21 january 1942, jim crawford enlisted in australian army medical corps. crawford wanted enlist earlier had not been medically fit. when crawford grew tired of peeling spuds discharged in september , worked stoker in royal australian naval reserve, serving aboard mine-sweepers guarding b.h.p steel works @ whyalla. while working stoker, crawford founded worker s study group. crawford spoke @ war loan rallies. @ 1 rally spoke on platform future australian prime minister, harold holt, shouted crawford double whisky after speech. jim charged mutiny organising stop work of naval stokers until paid trade union rates. stood firm , gained union rates after, however, crawford transferred new guinea naval depot hms ladava. in 1944, experienced bombing japanese in new guinea. served aboard icelandic fishing trawler converted minesweeper hms beryl. while working on minesweeper crawford had shovel coal furnace. coal shovelling had caused permanent damage crawford s lungs , developed emphysema. in january, 1945, discharged navy pension suffering duodenal ulcer. once discharged navy, arrived in melbourne , wrote large newspapers, such sporting globe , melbourne guardian. worked melbourne guardian ten years, writing political issues.

the separation of war had caused damage relationship wife , divorced ursula, in 1946. during latter part of 1948, jim worked queensland guardian in brisbane on temporary basis. lived in brisbane rest of life. in 1948, crawford got serious case of pneumonia , given dead. however, managed pull through , got married 6 months later pamela mary seeman on 22 december 1949. pamela artist, , once married bought several acres of rainforest on tamborine mountain , settled on mountain.

possible photo of james , pamela crawford. found in fryer library collection uqfl301. box 9, folder 4.

it during time crawford began writing theatre. throughout lifetime, crawford wrote around seventeen plays. in addition plays, wrote several short stories, such as, pipers , bottle. described controversial left-wing journalist plays being described propagandist. first play one-act called welcome home.

his second play rocket range explored unfair treatment of aboriginals in central australia. rocket range first produced in melbourne in 1947 , afterwards sydney new theatre. play received awards , entered british drama league festival in 1947. crawford wrote several plays in support aboriginal rights rocket range become known , controversial. play entered british drama league festival in 1947 , although play received score of 75 out of possible 100 thrown out being ideological propaganda . play received 10/10 stage presentation, 40/40 acting , 25/30 overall production. however, play received no marks under section choice of play , festival adjudicator mr harvey adams had following comments make reasons behind plays 0 score:

point of view of theatre there no reason either write or produce play. adjudicator not concerned either authors or society s object in presenting it. designed tilt @ windmill , falls short of mark. authors intentions appear advocate australian civilisation not wrong in extremely bad taste.

the adjudicator goes on compare intentions of play of spirit of chartist riots chartism , continued,

looms came take rightful place in modern advancement, future inventions , developments in science, , no puny, pinchbeck efforts, having roots bugged in swamps of sentimental ignorance able item advance toward betterment of mankind. cannot feel play has been chosen presentation not other reason ideological propaganda , such, have no opinion throw out of designed theatrical festival.

despite this, play received later in 1953 in ipswich play festival. in 1957, rocket range banned @ play reading held @ municipal library hall (brisbane) being political .

in 1947, jim crawford wrote play refugee addressed issues around antisemitism. during late 1940s crawford wrote uneasy stages, miner s right, , frame-up. crawford wrote three-act play called governor s stables entered theatre council of west australia s playwriting competition in 1951. won first prize 1 hundred , fifty pounds. of australian male playwrights produced @ new theatre jim crawford , playwright, dick diamond, author of reedy river had plays performed in sydney , more 1 production.

jim crawford wrote junior youth league of queensland perform @ youth carnival in sydney. wrote one-act play called bushland picnic, in 1952, , afterwards, wrote one-act children s play called man-eating clock. in march 1953, crawford wrote one-act play people s paper land guardian festival. play contrasted reporting of events in progressive newspapers , capitalist press.

at end of 1953, crawford went townsville several months assist in reporting guardian newspaper on successful north qld rank , file worker s convention. playwrights advisory board sponsored playwriting competition in 1955 , crawford entered three-act play. play titled wit woo , hospitalised patient had dream of finding hard working life. crawford wrote play ipswich drama festival of 1956 called passed way. old windmill cum observatory on wickham terrace, brisbane , performed in brisbane new theatre. jim wrote several radio features time, avenging ghost of campbell town , celebrated mr barrington various successes.

later years , death

in crawford s later years continued write plays. queensland peace committee, crawford wrote important letter!, in 1962. in same year, wrote three-act play called colour of money. in 1963, wrote 3 plays, shakespeare @ cedar creek , little bird told me junior youth league , under bunya wattle dance group. in 1969, crawford created play titled billets or badges queensland centenary celebrations. play famous tramways strike in brisbane during 1912 , made quite impact among audience. last full-length play jim crawford wrote cavern , tavern.

jim crawford died on 11 november 1973 of myocardial infarction in greenslopes respiration hospital. had no children survived wife, pamela. crawford known humour aimed @ enemies of workers.