THE descendants of a “world famous author” have gathered in Port Macquarie to mark 170 years since his birth.
Louis Becke was born in 1855 and lived close to the sea at the corner of William and Owen streets.
Dubbed “the most famous writer about the Pacific” by fellow author James Michener, he produced 35 novels, novellas and non fiction books, and over 400 stories and articles.
His childhood in Port Macquarie introduced him to the sea.
He was a keen fisherman and sailor from an early age and by the time he was 20, he had sailed to San Francisco; was a stow away on a ship to Samoa; and had a brief stint on the goldfields in Queensland.
The next 10 years were marked by his adventures as an island trader.
Dr Chrystopher J. Spicer is a leading authority on Louis Becke and joined around 30 people at the Historic Court House to deliver a presentation about his life.
Across the road in the Port Macquarie Museum, a display featured some of Becke’s letters.
Dr Spicer described Becke as “an intriguing person on a number of levels”.
He noted his use of “echo writing’” about sustainable fishing in the Pacific Islands and fishing management in NSW, and the fact he was raised to interact with local indigenous people, spoke several islander languages, and was an island trader and business manager.
“Becke was an instant best seller, bigger than Robert Louis Stevenson, a friend of Henry Lawson and often referred to as the ‘Rudyard Kipling of the Pacific’,” he said.
“When Herman Melville died, ‘Moby Dick’ was unsuccessful, yet when Becke wrote the introduction for the 1901 edition he sparked a revival and ensured future success.”
David Bawden, a local member of the Louis Becke Society, came across Becke’s stories of the Hastings while a patrol officer in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s.
“Becke was telling stories in the Coogee Hotel one night, and was encouraged to write by J.F. Archibald of The Bulletin, who was there,” he said.
David now has a collection of all 35 of Becke’s books.
By Pauline CAIN
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
