Such Is Life

Joseph Furphy (1843-1912), is widely regarded as the "Father of the Australian novel." He mostly wrote under the pseudonym Tom Collins, and was extremely popular in Australia during the late 19th century. In his youth he had written many verses and in December 1867 he had been awarded the first prize of 3 at the Kyneton Literary Society for a vigorous set of verses on The Death of President Lincoln. His most famous work is Such is Life (1903), a fictional account of the life of rural dwellers, including bullock drivers, squatters and itinerant travellers, in southern New South Wales and Victoria, during the 1880s. In 1905, he moved to Western Australia, where his sons were living. He built a house at Swanbourne, which is now the headquarters of the West Australian branch of the Fellowship of Australian Writers. Furphy's popularity may have influenced the usage of the Australian slang word furphy, meaning a "tall story." However, scholars consider it more likely that the word originated with water carts, produced in large numbers by J. Furphy & Sons, a company owned by Joseph's brother John.