David Hutchison

David Hutchison was the first Curator of History at the Western Australian Museum and a prominent Fremantle-based writer and historian. His best-known book is Fremantle Walks (Fremantle Press, 2006).

David Hutchison reviews ‘James Stirling: Admiral and Founding Governor of Western Australia’ by Pamela Statham-Drew

September 2003, no. 254 • 01 September 2003

James Stirling’s naval career was helped by having an uncle who was a Rear Admiral. The other side of his family was involved in trade, and some have argued that his proposal for the Swan River colony was based on personal ambition and family influence. This is true to some extent. However, in a deeper sense, he was shaped by his family’s involvement in two of the mainsprings of nineteenth-cen ... (read more)

David Hutchison reviews ‘The Literary Larrikin: A critical biography of T.A.G. Hungerford’ by Michael Crouch

September 2005, no. 274 • 01 September 2005

The title of this biography evokes one element of Tom Hungerford’s rich and complex character, but fails to acknowledge his stature as a writer. Hungerford had long felt that he had not been given due recognition for his substantial contribution to Australian literature. Formal recognition came at last in 2003, when he was given the Patrick White Award, which was established to honour writers wh ... (read more)