List of the most popular authors from Australia, listed alphabetically with photos when available. For centuries authors have been among the world's most important people, helping chronicle history and keep us entertained with one of the earliest forms of storytelling. Whether they're known for fiction, non-fiction, poetry or even technical writing, the famous Australian authors on this list have kept that tradition alive by writing renowned works that have been praised around the world. You can find useful information below about these notable Australian writers, such as when they were born and where their place of birth was.
Authors here include everything from Donald Bradman to Gilbert Percy Whitley.
This list answers the questions, "Which famous authors are from Australia?" and "Who are the best Australian authors?"
For further information on these historic Australian authors, click on their names. If you're a bookworm then use this list of celebrated Australian authors to discover some new books that you will enjoy reading.
1G. Glaskin
The land that sleeps, A change of mindBirthplace: Perth, Australia
Birthdate: 1923-12-16
Nationality: Australia
Gerald Glaskin was a Western Australian author.
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Louis Becke
Tom Gerrard, Chinkie's flat and other storiesBirthplace: Port Macquarie, Australia
Birthdate: 1855-01-01
Nationality: Australia
George Lewis Becke was an Australian Pacific trader, short-story writer and novelist. 3
Mary Gilmore
Poems for playtime, Hound of the roadBirthplace: Goulburn, Australia
Birthdate: 1865-08-16
Nationality: Australia
Dame Mary Gilmore DBE was a prominent Australian socialist poet and journalist.- 4
Geoffrey Dutton
Founder of a city, Selective Affinities: New PoemsBirthplace: Kapunda, Australia
Birthdate: 1922-08-02
Nationality: Australia
Geoffrey Piers Henry Dutton AO was an Australian author and historian. 5
Patrick White
Voss, Riders in the ChariotBirthplace: Knightsbridge, Eurasia, United Kingdom
Birthdate: 1912
Nationality: United Kingdom, Australia
Patrick Victor Martindale White (28 May 1912 – 30 September 1990) was an Australian writer... more on Wikipedia6
Kylie Minogue
K, The Showgirl PrincessBirthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Birthdate: 1968-05-28
Nationality: Australia
Kylie Ann Minogue, (; born 28 May 1968), also known mononymously as Kylie, is an Australian... more on Wikipedia- 7
Christine Harris
Foreign Devil, ShiversBirthplace: Mile End, Australia
Birthdate: 1955-08-05
Nationality: Australia
Christine Harris is an Australian writer of children's and young-adult with works both in... more on Wikipedia 8
Aravind Adiga
The White Tiger: A Novel, Between the AssassinationsBirthplace: Chennai, India
Birthdate: 1974-10-23
Nationality: India, Australia
Aravind Adiga (born 23 October 1974) is an Indo-Australian writer and journalist. His debut... more on Wikipedia- 9
David McRobbie
Waxing with Wayne, The Wayne DynastyBirthplace: Glasgow, United Kingdom
Birthdate: 1934
Nationality: Australia
David McRobbie is an Australian writer of television, radio and children's literature. 10
Ronald Fisher
The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection, Natural selectionBirthplace: East Finchley, London, United Kingdom
Birthdate: 1890-02-17
Nationality: United Kingdom, Australia
Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher (17 February 1890 – 29 July 1962) was a British statistician and... more on Wikipedia11
Saleem Ali
Islam and education, MiningBirthplace: New Bedford, Massachusetts
Birthdate: 1973-01-01
Nationality: Pakistan, United States of America, Australia
Saleem or Salim Ali may refer to: Saleem Ali (politician) (died 2007), Maldivian... more on Wikipedia12
Timothy Conigrave
Holding the Man, Theiving BoyBirthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Birthdate: 1959-11-19
Nationality: Australia
Tim Conigrave (19 November 1959 – 18 October 1994) was an Australian actor, writer, and... more on Wikipedia13
Robert Bruce
Energy WorkBirthdate: 1955
Nationality: Australia
Robert Bruce is an English-born mystic author living in Australia. Bruce is best known for his... more on Wikipedia14
Ben Elton
Popcorn, The First CasualtyBirthplace: Catford, London, United Kingdom
Birthdate: 1959-05-03
Nationality: England, Australia
Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is a British-Australian comedian, author, playwright,... more on Wikipedia15
Emma Darcy
Wedding To Remember, Wrong MirrorBirthplace: Australia
Nationality: Australia
Emma Darcy is the pseudonym used by the Australian husband–wife writing team of Wendy Brennan... more on Wikipedia16
Nick Cave
The Death of Bunny Munro, And the Ass Saw the AngelBirthplace: Warracknabeal, Australia
Birthdate: 1957-09-22
Nationality: Australia
Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter,... more on Wikipedia17
Errol Flynn
My Wicked, Wicked WaysBirthplace: Hobart, Australia
Birthdate: 1909-06-20
Nationality: United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-born American... more on Wikipedia18
Barry Humphries
MY GORGEOUS LIFE, My Life as MeBirthplace: Kew Vic, Australia
Birthdate: 1934-02-17
Nationality: Australia
John Barry Humphries, (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, satirist,... more on Wikipedia- 19
Carter Brown
The Lover, The TemptressBirthplace: London, United Kingdom
Birthdate: 1923-08-01
Nationality: Australia
Carter Brown was the literary pseudonym of Alan Geoffrey Yates (1 August 1923 – 5 May 1985),... more on Wikipedia - 20
Margaret Way
Mail Order Marriage, No AlternativeBirthplace: Brisbane, Australia
Nationality: Australia
Margaret Way is an Australian writer of romance novels and women's fiction. A prolific author,... more on Wikipedia 21
J. M. Coetzee
Waiting for the Barbarians, Slow ManBirthplace: Cape Town, South Africa
Birthdate: 1940-02-09
Nationality: Australia, South Africa
John Maxwell Coetzee () (born 9 February 1940) is a South African-born novelist, essayist,... more on Wikipedia22
Thomas Keneally
Schindler's Ark, The great shameBirthplace: Sydney, Australia
Birthdate: 1935-10-07
Nationality: Australia
Thomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is a prolific Australian novelist,... more on Wikipedia23
Portia de Rossi
Vegan Cooking for CarnivoresBirthplace: Horsham, Australia
Birthdate: 1973-01-31
Nationality: Australia
Portia Lee James DeGeneres (born 31 January 1973), known professionally as Portia de Rossi, is... more on Wikipedia24
Arthur Upfield
The widows of Broome, Bony buys a womanBirthplace: Gosport, United Kingdom
Birthdate: 1890-09-01
Nationality: Australia
Arthur William Upfield (1 September 1890 – 12 February 1964) was an English/Australian writer,... more on Wikipedia- 25
David Williamson
The Removalists, Don's PartyBirthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Birthdate: 1942-02-24
Nationality: Australia
David Keith Williamson, AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian dramatist and playwright.... more on Wikipedia
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