Difference between revisions of "George H. Cossins"
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| − | (b. South Australia, **/**/1865 or 1866 - d. Timaru, South Island, New Zealand, 11/08/1925) Australian-born novelist. Lieutenant George Herbert Cossins was a transport officer with the 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen during the South African War (1899-1902). It would seem that he only arrived on board the troopship Warrigal in Durban on 27th April 1901 and was severely wounded at Reitz on 6th June 1901. However, according to The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia) of 24 March 1901, “he took part in the last Boer War” and also that “he is thoroughly acquainted with the geographical features of South Africa”. This presumably means that it was during 1880-81 that he saw enough of the country to be able to later write the [[H. Rider Haggard]]-inspired novel ''Isban-Israel: a South African story'' (1896), on which [[Joseph Albrecht]]’s film [[Isban]] / [[The Buried City]] (1919) was based. | + | (b. South Australia, **/**/1865 or 1866 - d. Timaru, South Island, New Zealand, 11/08/1925). Australian-born novelist. Lieutenant George Herbert Cossins was a transport officer with the 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen during the South African War (1899-1902). It would seem that he only arrived on board the troopship Warrigal in Durban on 27th April 1901 and was severely wounded at Reitz on 6th June 1901. However, according to The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia) of 24 March 1901, “he took part in the last Boer War” and also that “he is thoroughly acquainted with the geographical features of South Africa”. This presumably means that it was during 1880-81 that he saw enough of the country to be able to later write the [[H. Rider Haggard]]-inspired novel ''Isban-Israel: a South African story'' (1896), on which [[Joseph Albrecht]]’s film [[Isban]] / [[The Buried City]] (1919) was based. |
Various references on the internet suggest that he came from Adelaide (he was a member of the local rowing club and played lacrosse) and besides writing two more novels, ''The wings of silence: an Australian tale'' (1898) and ''A Boer of to-day: a story of the Transvaal'' (1900), he also wrote the lyrics for a cantata composed for the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition (1887). Apparently another novel, entitled ''A Girl From the Veld'', was lost overboard in Durban Bay. Prior to his departure for South Africa, he worked for the South Australian Government Survey Office. After the war ended, he returned to South Africa in 1902 and, in 1904, as claims inspector of the Department of Mines, married Ethel Annie McLaren of Dunedin, New Zealand in Johannesburg. In July 1905 Mrs. Cossins of Klerksdorp gave birth to a daughter. His earlier job at the Survey Office stood him in good stead as there are many archival references to his work as a beacon inspector in the Transvaal between 1908 and 1910. In June 1919, [[S.A. Pictorial]] reported that he had been living in Vogelfontein for 13 years, but in 1923 the family left South Africa and in December of that year The Register of Adelaide mentioned that at that time Cossins was “a successful personage in New Zealand”. He died in Timaru at the age of 59. (FO) | Various references on the internet suggest that he came from Adelaide (he was a member of the local rowing club and played lacrosse) and besides writing two more novels, ''The wings of silence: an Australian tale'' (1898) and ''A Boer of to-day: a story of the Transvaal'' (1900), he also wrote the lyrics for a cantata composed for the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition (1887). Apparently another novel, entitled ''A Girl From the Veld'', was lost overboard in Durban Bay. Prior to his departure for South Africa, he worked for the South Australian Government Survey Office. After the war ended, he returned to South Africa in 1902 and, in 1904, as claims inspector of the Department of Mines, married Ethel Annie McLaren of Dunedin, New Zealand in Johannesburg. In July 1905 Mrs. Cossins of Klerksdorp gave birth to a daughter. His earlier job at the Survey Office stood him in good stead as there are many archival references to his work as a beacon inspector in the Transvaal between 1908 and 1910. In June 1919, [[S.A. Pictorial]] reported that he had been living in Vogelfontein for 13 years, but in 1923 the family left South Africa and in December of that year The Register of Adelaide mentioned that at that time Cossins was “a successful personage in New Zealand”. He died in Timaru at the age of 59. (FO) | ||
Revision as of 09:05, 6 April 2013
(b. South Australia, **/**/1865 or 1866 - d. Timaru, South Island, New Zealand, 11/08/1925). Australian-born novelist. Lieutenant George Herbert Cossins was a transport officer with the 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen during the South African War (1899-1902). It would seem that he only arrived on board the troopship Warrigal in Durban on 27th April 1901 and was severely wounded at Reitz on 6th June 1901. However, according to The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia) of 24 March 1901, “he took part in the last Boer War” and also that “he is thoroughly acquainted with the geographical features of South Africa”. This presumably means that it was during 1880-81 that he saw enough of the country to be able to later write the H. Rider Haggard-inspired novel Isban-Israel: a South African story (1896), on which Joseph Albrecht’s film Isban / The Buried City (1919) was based.
Various references on the internet suggest that he came from Adelaide (he was a member of the local rowing club and played lacrosse) and besides writing two more novels, The wings of silence: an Australian tale (1898) and A Boer of to-day: a story of the Transvaal (1900), he also wrote the lyrics for a cantata composed for the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition (1887). Apparently another novel, entitled A Girl From the Veld, was lost overboard in Durban Bay. Prior to his departure for South Africa, he worked for the South Australian Government Survey Office. After the war ended, he returned to South Africa in 1902 and, in 1904, as claims inspector of the Department of Mines, married Ethel Annie McLaren of Dunedin, New Zealand in Johannesburg. In July 1905 Mrs. Cossins of Klerksdorp gave birth to a daughter. His earlier job at the Survey Office stood him in good stead as there are many archival references to his work as a beacon inspector in the Transvaal between 1908 and 1910. In June 1919, S.A. Pictorial reported that he had been living in Vogelfontein for 13 years, but in 1923 the family left South Africa and in December of that year The Register of Adelaide mentioned that at that time Cossins was “a successful personage in New Zealand”. He died in Timaru at the age of 59. (FO)
Sources
S.A. Pictorial, 21 June 1919
http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/nominal_rolls/pre_first_world_war/person.asp?p=469545
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4826709
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4846135
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=ODT19040614.2.6
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