Gladys Edith McKay (20 February 1891 – 30 January 1963) was an Australian writer.[1]

During World War I, McKay volunteered as a nurse and was sent overseas to Gallipoli and Serbia with the Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service.[2][3]

McKay is best known for her 1947 novel "The House of Winston Blaker".[4]

"The House of Winston Blaker" received mostly positive reviews nationally and was later adapted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a radio serial.[5][6][7]

McKay was also known for her short stories, written under the name of Edith Dithmack.[1] More than 120 of McKay's short stories were broadcast on ABC Radio in the 1940s.[8]

In 1949, McKay won the ABC's short story competition in 1949 for Faith.[9]

ABC Radio adapted another of McKay's works into a serial format in 1952. Unborn Tomorrow, inspired by the history of Kanaka labour on the Queensland sugarcane fields, was aired from Monday to Friday at 8:45am.[10]

McKay was born in Rockhampton, and worked as a solicitor's clerk in Bundaberg before settling in the Boonah district.[11][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Author: Edith McKay, AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource. Accessed 20 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Serbia, 1919. Portrait of nursing sisters Sterling (?Stirling) and Edith Mackay (on right)". Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Mackay, Edith Jane (Nurse, Scottish Women's Hospital b.1875 - d.1961)". Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  4. ^ Miller, Simon (26 July 2013) The House of Winston Blaker: Business Front and Centre in a 1947 Novel, State Library of Queensland website. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  5. ^ (25 November 1947) Queensland novel tells good tale, Maryborough Chronicle. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 20 August 2018.
  6. ^ (17 January 1948) Novel of the Week: The House of Winston Blaker Archived 22 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 20 August 2018.
  7. ^ (3 January 1948) Four books of fiction Archived 22 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine, The Age. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 20 August 2018.
  8. ^ (12 July 1949) Story winner, The Courier-Mail. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 20 August 2018.
  9. ^ a b (12 July 1949) Boonah woman wins competition Archived 22 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Queensland Times. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 20 August 2018.
  10. ^ (23 April 1952) New radio serial by Queensland writer Archived 22 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Weekly Times. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 20 August 2018.
  11. ^ (13 June 1946) Our Contributors: E. Dithmack, Western Mail. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 20 August 2018.