Astley, Thea Beatrice May

▪ 2005

      Australian writer and teacher (b. Aug. 25, 1925, Brisbane, Queen., Australia—d. Aug. 17, 2004, New South Wales, Australia), used satire to examine the lives of repressed and isolated people, especially those living in small towns. Considered one of Australia's leading writers, she was praised for her caustic wit, keen observations, and lyrical prose. Astley, who graduated (1947) from the University of Queensland, began teaching in 1944 and often worked in remote locations, which provided material for her work. From 1968 to 1980 she also was on the faculty at Macquarie University in Sydney. In her first novel, Girl with a Monkey (1958), Astley chronicled a schoolteacher's last day in a small town as she leaves a violent boyfriend. The parochialism and brutality of insular communities figured prominently in many of her novels, including A Descant for Gossips (1960) and An Item from the Late News (1982). She also frequently explored themes of self-delusion and human folly, and her novels often reached violent conclusions. In The Acolyte (1972) an egocentric musician destroys those around him, while Beachmasters (1985) chronicled the failed attempt by Pacific Islanders to free themselves from foreign rule. The mistreatment of Aboriginals was addressed in A Kindness Cup (1974) and It's Raining in Mango (1987). Astley's other notable works included The Well Dressed Explorer (1962), The Slow Natives (1965), and Drylands (1999). The recipient of numerous honours, Astley was a four-time winner of the Miles Franklin Award, Australia's highest literary prize.

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