Coral Lansbury
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Coral Magnolia Lansbury (14 October 1929 – 3 April 1991) was an Australian-born feminist writer and academic. Working in the United States from 1969 until her death, she became Distinguished Professor of English and Dean of Graduate Studies at
Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
. A former child actor and scriptwriter, Lansbury was the author of several works of fiction and non-fiction. The latter included ''The Reasonable Man: Trollope's Legal Fiction'' (1970), ''Elizabeth Gaskell: The Novel of Social Crisis'' (1975), and ''The Old Brown Dog: Women, Workers, and Vivisection in Edwardian England'' (1985). Her best-known novel was ''The Grotto'' (1989). Lansbury's
biological son Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
,
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
, became the 29th
Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...
.


Early life and education

Lansbury was born in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
, to an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
mother, May Lansbury (née Morle), and an Australian father, Oscar Vincent Stephen Lansbury. Her parents were stage actors in London. She was a distant cousin of the British film and television actor
Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...
.Fowler, Glenn (4 April 1991)
"Coral Lansbury, 61, a Novelist And Victorian Scholar, Is Dead"
''The New York Times''.
Her paternal grandparents were Arthur Thomas Lansbury from
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, who emigrated to Australia in 1884, and Ellen Smith, an Australian whose paternal grandparents were
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and maternal grandparents English. Lansbury attended
North Sydney Girls High School , motto_translation = Towards Higher Things , established = , type = Government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school , gender = Girls , oversight = New South Wales Department of Education , principal = Megan Co ...
and sat the NSW
Leaving Certificate A secondary school leaving qualification is a document signifying that the holder has fulfilled any secondary education requirements of their locality, often including the passage of a final qualification examination. For each leaving certifica ...
in 1945, entering the
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
in 1947 as an un
matriculate Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...
d student. In 1948 she won the Henry Lawson poetry prize for ''Krubi of the Illawarra''. She studied Arts (history, anthropology and archaeology) and achieved first-class honours, but she was ineligible to graduate as she had not matriculated. Her student card is in the
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
archives. She was the recipient of the
George Arnold Wood George Arnold Wood (7 June 1865 – 14 October 1928) was an English Australian historian notable for writing an early work on Australian history entitled '' The Discovery of Australia''. Wood was born at Salford, England; he was educated at Owens ...
Memorial Prize (aeq), awarded annually for proficiency in History II, and the Maud Stiles Memorial Prize (aeq), awarded annually to a woman student for proficiency in History II. She wrote a master's thesis in 1967 at the
University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...
titled ''Arcady and Utopia: a study of the influence of Charles Dickens on Australian life and culture with special reference to the life and ideas of William Guthrie Spence''. The title of her 1969 doctoral thesis was ''Australia in English literature in the nineteenth century''. Afterwards, she moved to
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
in the United States.


Career

At 19, Lansbury started work at the
Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owned ...
(as it was then known). Her father worked in the early radio industry in Australia with the ABC, and he got her a part in a radio drama. She worked as both a scriptwriter and actor in radio during its heyday. The National Film and Sound Archive list of the productions with which she is associated as a scriptwriter includes: *''Becket'': Re-enactment of the relationship between Henry II and Thomas Becket. 104 x 15-min. episodes *''Empty Arms'': Drama serial about adoption and the effect on the mother. 104 x 15-min. episodes *''Fallen Angel'': Angel, a successful model whose husband dies leaving her with a newborn child. 146 x 15-min. episodes (1955) *''Judith'': Based on the biblical story of Judith, played by actress
Judi Farr Judi Farr (born c.1938/1939), also credited as Judy Farr, is an Australian former actress of theatre, film and television best known for several situation comedy roles on Australian television. Farr has also appeared in Australian films such ...
. 104 x 15-min. episodes. *''The Reverend Matthew:'' A story about a country minister. 1105 x 15-min. episodes (1956–59) *''Stairway to Fame:'' Cast included Sheila Sewell,
Ray Barrett Raymond Charles Barrett (2 May 19278 September 2009) was an Australian actor. During the 1960s, he was a leading actor on British television, where he was best known for his appearances in ''The Troubleshooters'' (1965–1971). From the 1970s, ...
,
Dinah Shearing Dinah Hilary Shearing (12 February 1926 – 14 June 2021) was an Australian actress, active in all facets of the industry, in particular theatre. Biography Dinah Shearing was born in Sydney, New South Wales to English parents she appeared o ...
, Lyndall Barbour,
John Meillon John Meillon, ( ; 1 May 1934 – 11 August 1989), was an Australian character actor, known for many straight as well as comedy roles, he became most widely known internationally as Walter Reilly in the films ''Crocodile Dundee'' and ''Crocodil ...
, Max Orbiston, Margo Lee,
Neva Carr Glyn Neva Carr Glyn or Neva Carr Glynn (born Neva Josephine Mary Carr Glyn, 10 May 1908 – 10 August 1975) was an Australian stage, film and radio actress born in Melbourne to Arthur Benjamin Carr Glyn (died 16 January 1923), a humorous baritone and ...
,
Ruth Cracknell Ruth Winifred Cracknell AM (6 July 1925 – 13 May 2002) was an Australian character and comic actress, comedienne and author, her career encompassing all genres including radio, theatre, television and film. She appeared in many dramatic as we ...
,
Queenie Ashton Ethel Muriel Ashton (11 November 190321 October 1999), known professionally as Queenie Ashton, was a character actress, born in England, who had a long career in Australia as a theatre performer and radio personality, best known for her radio ...
. 208 episodes (c. 1954) *''Thirty Minutes To Go:'' Mystery drama. 30 minutes. *''This Was Sylvia:'' Dramatic story of a beautiful and insatiably ambitious woman. 208 x 15-min. episodes. 1956 *''True Dog Stories:'' Stories about different breeds of dogs. 26 x 15-min. episodes (1960s) She worked for the ABC into the 1960s but as television supplanted radio drama she turned more to academic interests. After gaining her doctorate, Lansbury worked as an academic in the United States. Her major interest was
Victorian literature Victorian literature refers to English literature during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901). The 19th century is considered by some to be the Golden Age of English Literature, especially for British novels. It was in the Victorian era tha ...
. Between 1975 and 1984 she wrote four books on
Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...
and other Victorian literary figures. She served as president of the Victorian Studies Association and of the Victorian executive committee of the Modern Language Association. She became Professor of English at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the first dean of the Graduate School at the Camden Campus. Lansbury wrote five works of fiction: ''Ringarra'' (1985), ''Sweet Alice'' (1986), ''Felicity'' (1987), ''The Grotto'' (1989), and ''Opium!'', published posthumously. One of her book reviewers was her son,
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
. He wrote in his regular column in '' The Bulletin'' magazine in 1981, of ''The Reasonable Man: Trollope's Legal Fiction'' (1970): "It is refreshing, if not surprising, to find someone who maintains that that most pellucid of novelists, Anthony Trollope, owed his literary style to the law.... The book provides a fresh insight into the novels of Trollope and to an explanation for his style."


Personal life

Lansbury's first marriage was to radio producer George Edwards, her godfather and friend of her father, on 20 February 1953. Edwards had enjoyed some fame as Dad in ''
Dad and Dave from Snake Gully ''Dad and Dave from Snake Gully'' was an Australian radio drama series based on the On Our Selection stories of Steele Rudd. The series is more often referred to simply as ''Dad and Dave''. The theme tune was " The Road to Gundagai". The standar ...
''. Lansbury was his fourth wife and was 40 years his junior. The next day, he was admitted to hospital with pneumonia and died six months later, on 28 August 1953. Lansbury had a "whirlwind romance" with Bruce Turnbull, who became her second husband, and in 1954, she gave birth prematurely to her son,
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
. In 1963, she moved to New Zealand after separating from Bruce Turnbull, and later married John Salmon, a university professor. Her son, Malcolm, was raised by his father after she left the family home when Malcolm was 10 years old.


Death

Lansbury died of bowel cancer on 3 April 1991, aged 61, at her home in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.


Selected works

* * * * * * * *


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lansbury, Coral 20th-century Australian novelists Australian academics 20th-century Australian non-fiction writers Australian women novelists Australian emigrants to the United States University of Sydney alumni University of Auckland alumni Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania 1929 births 1991 deaths 20th-century Australian women writers Australian expatriates in New Zealand Australian people of English descent Australian people of Irish descent Parents of prime ministers of Australia Rutgers University faculty