Arthur Henry Adams (6 June 1872 – 4 March 1936) was a journalist and author. He started his career in New Zealand, though he spent most of it in Australia, and for a short time lived in China and London.

Biography

Arthur Adams was born in

Lawrence, New Zealand Lawrence is a small town in Otago, in New Zealand's South Island. It is located on New Zealand State Highway 8, State Highway 8, the main route from Dunedin to the inland towns of Queenstown, New Zealand, Queenstown and Alexandra, New Zealand, Al ...

, and educated at the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and began studying law. He then abandoned law to become a journalist in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

, where he began contributing poetry to '' The Bulletin'', a Sydney periodical. He moved to Sydney in 1898, and took up a position as private secretary and literary advisor to J.C. Williamson, a noted theatrical manager. In 1900 Adams travelled to China to cover the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...

as a journalist for ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...

'' and several New Zealand papers. He would later return to New Zealand before moving to London in 1902, where he published several works including ''The Nazarene'' (1902) and ''London Streets'', a collection of poems (1906). Adams returned to Australia in 1906, he took over from A. G. Stephens as editor of the ''Bulletin's'' Red Page until 1909. In addition to his poetry, Adams wrote both plays and novels. His most successful play was '' Mrs. Pretty and the Premier'', which was produced in 1914 by the Melbourne Repertory Theatre. Adams died on 4 March 1936 in Sydney. He had married Lily Paton in 1908. She and two daughters and a son survived him.

Works

Verse

''Maoriland: and Other Verses'' (1899) *''London Streets'' (1906) *''Collected Verses of Arthur H. Adams'' (1913) *''Australian Nursery Rimes'' (1917) *''Fifty Nursery Rhymes with Music'' (1924)

Prose

*''The Nazarene: A Study of a Man'' (1902) * ''Tussock Land'' (1904) *''A Touch of Fantasy'' (1911) *''The Knight and the Motor Launch'' (1913) *''Three Plays for the Australian Stage'' (1914) *''Double Bed Dialogues'' (1915) *''Grocer Greatheart'' (1915) *''Honeymoon Dialogues'' (1916), published as James James (pseudonym) *''The Australians'' (1920) *''Lola of the Chocolates'' (1929) *''A Man's Life'' (1929)

Plays

*''Premier and Mrs Pretty'' (1914) *''Galahad Jones'' (1910) *''Gallipoli Bill'' (1914) *''Doctor Death'' (1920) *''The Tame Cat'' (1910) *''The Wasters'' (1910)

Music

*''Evening Bells'' Waltz (1912) *''Fill The Billy for the Boys'' with Neville Hampson *''Love is Gold'' (Lyrics) with music by Leon Caron

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

*
Arthur Henry Adams
�� a collection of some of his sonnets.
AustLit entry
– detailed biographical information on Adams * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Arthur Henry 1872 births 1936 deaths New Zealand reporters and correspondents New Zealand male poets Australian male poets Australian reporters and correspondents University of Otago alumni People from Lawrence, New Zealand 20th-century New Zealand poets 20th-century Australian poets Australian literary critics New Zealand emigrants to Australia New Zealand expatriates in China