Editing Marcus Clarke (section)

=== Writing career ===
Clarke was already writing stories for the ''Australian Magazine'', when in 1867 he joined the staff of ''[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]]''  and ''[[The Australasian]]'' in [[Melbourne]] through the introduction of Dr. Robert Lewins, writing under the heading 'The Peripatetic Philosopher'. He was noted for his vivid descriptions of Melbourne's street scenes and city types, including the "low life" of opium dens, brothels and gambling houses. He always claimed he was interested in the "parti-colored, patch-worked garment of life".<ref name=Hergenhan>{{Cite journal|last=Hergenhan|first=Laurie|date=Winter 2010|title=A New Biography of Marcus Clarke |url=https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/SL_Winter_2010_lr.pdf|journal=SL Winter 2010|volume=3|issue=2|pages=24}}</ref>{{rp|24}} These columns brought Clarke to the attention of the public, who enjoyed his schoolboy humor and his popularity as a writer grew. Clarke contributed to many colonial newspapers and he was the local correspondent for the London ''[[The Daily Telegraph|Daily Telegraph]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Bert|first=Martin|url=http://search.slv.vic.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=SLV_VOYAGER157821&context=L&vid=MAIN&lang=en_US&search_scope=Everything&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=default_tab&query=any,contains,Marcus%20clarke&offset=0|title=Testimonial benefit, Wednesday evening, May 10, 1899: dramatic and musical: tended to Mrs Marcus Clarke.|publisher=Bert Martin.|year=1899|location=Melbourne, Australia|pages=4}}</ref>

In 1868 Clarke founded the [[Yorick Club (Melbourne)|Yorick Club]], which soon numbered among its members the chief Australian [[Intellectual#Man of Letters|men of letters]]<ref name="AuDB" /> and 1869 he married the actress Marian Dunn (often "Marion"), daughter of actor and comedian [[John Dunn (actor)|John Dunn]], with whom he had six children.<ref name=AuDB/> Clarke wrote "two sparkling comedies" specially for Marian, ''A Daughter of Eve'' and ''Forbidden Fruit.''<ref name=":0" />  One of his writing projects at this time was he and [[Henry Kendall (poet)|Henry Kendall]] working together to produce the short-lived satirical magazine ''Humbug'' (1869–70).[[File:For the term of his natural life (IA fortermofhisnatu00clar).pdf|thumb|The cover of the 1892 edition of ''For the Term of His Natural Life'', published in London by [[Richard Bentley (publisher)|R. Bentley and Son]]|left]]Clarke briefly visited [[Tasmania]] in 1870 at the request of ''The Argus'' to experience at first hand the settings of articles he was writing on the [[Convicts in Australia|convict period]]. ''Old Stories Retold'' began to appear in ''The Australasian'' from February. The following month his great novel ''His Natural Life'' (later called ''[[For the Term of His Natural Life]]'') commenced serialization in ''[[The Australian Journal]]'' (which Clarke was editing), and was later published in book form in 1874. ''For the Term of His Natural Life'' is a "ripping yarn", which at times relies on unrealistic coincidences. The story follows the fortunes of Rufus Dawes, a young man [[Penal transportation|transported]] for a theft that he did not commit, when rendering assistance to the victim of a mugging. The harsh and inhumane treatment meted out to the convicts, some of whom were transported for relatively minor crimes, is clearly conveyed. The conditions experienced by the convicts are graphically described. The novel was based on research by the author as well as a visit to the penal settlement of [[Port Arthur, Tasmania|Port Arthur]].<ref name=AuDB/> Clarke originally referred to the novel as "His Unnatural Life."<ref name="Hergenhan" />{{rp|22–24}} One critic has claimed that Clarke's novel is "the book that, more than any other, has defined our perception of the Australian convict experience.".<ref name="Hergenhan" />{{rp|24}} ''For the Term of his Natural Life'' is considered a novel in the grand tradition, that places Clarke with [[Charles Reade]], [[Victor Hugo]] and [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]] among the great nineteenth-century visionaries who found in the problems of crime and punishment a new insight, especially relevant in the convict-founded Australian colonies, into the foundations of human worth.<ref name="AuDB" />
[[File:Marcus Clarke 1866.jpg|thumb|Marcus Clarke, c. 1866]]
Clarke also wrote ''The Peripatetic Philosopher'' (1869), a series of amusing papers reprinted from ''The Australasian''; ''Long Odds'' (London, 1870), a novel; and numerous comedies and pantomimes, the best of which was ''Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'' ([[Theatre Royal, Melbourne]]; Christmas, 1873). In spite of his popular success, Clarke was constantly involved in financial difficulties and twice (1874 and 1881) he was forced into insolvency. His financial difficulties in 1874 forced him to sell his furniture and the 574 volumes that made up his personal library.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stitz |first1=Charles |title=Australian book collectors |date=2010 |publisher=Bread Street Press |location=Bendigo |isbn=9780646533407 |page=59 |edition=First}}</ref>

[[File:Grave of Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke (1846–1881) at Melbourne General Cemetery.jpg|thumb|Clarke's grave at Melbourne General Cemetery]]

In 1872, Clarke was appointed secretary to the trustees of the [[Melbourne Public Library]] (now known as [[State Library Victoria]]) and in 1876 became sub (assistant) librarian. It is said he carried out his duties with reasonable efficiency but "levity pursued him", and when he applied for the position of Chief Librarian in 1881, he was refused.<ref name="AuDB" /> The library holds a unique collection of papers that relate to Marcus Clarke; the finding aid accessed via the website describes the "correspondence, manuscripts of prose and plays, notebooks, diaries, newspapers and press cuttings, legal documents and other miscellaneous papers and books".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|first=|title=Papers of Marcus Clarke: MS 8222, Box 455.|url=https://findingaids.slv.vic.gov.au/repositories/3/resources/248|access-date=28 October 2020|website=State Library Victoria}}</ref> As well as holding books, pictures, manuscripts, music scores and journals, two unusual collection items (classified as "Realia") are his death mask and his [[Cabbage-tree hat|Cabbage Tree hat]]. Clarke and his work have been featured in several exhibitions held at the library, most recently "Bohemian Melbourne" (2014) which was attended by over 70,000 visitors.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bohemian Melbourne|url=https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/galleries/bohemian-melbourne|access-date=28 October 2020|website=State Library Victoria}}</ref>

Clarke was an important literary figure in Australia, and at the centre of a [[Bohemianism|bohemian]] circle in Melbourne. Among the writers in contact with him were [[Victor Daley]], [[Thomas Bracken]], [[John Shillinglaw]], [[Henry Kendall (poet)|Henry Kendall]], [[Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.|Oliver Wendell Holmes]], [[Julian Thomas (journalist)|Julian Thomas]], [[R. P. Whitworth|Robert P. Whitworth]], [[Adam Lindsay Gordon]] and [[George Gordon McCrae]]. As well as friends, he also made enemies. These included [[James Edward Neild|James Neild]] and [[James Smith (journalist)|James Smith]]. In 1877, he served a term as the chairman of the library committee of the [[Melbourne Athenaeum]] (founded 1839) the oldest cultural institution in the city.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5915334 ''The Argus'', 6 March 1877, p.10.]</ref>

Anxiety, overwork, disappointment and health problems are said to have hastened his death (officially of [[erysipelas]])<ref name="AuDB" /> in Melbourne on 2 August 1881 at the age of 35. Clarke was buried in [[Melbourne General Cemetery]] and in August 1898, a "fine granite monument" was erected over the grave.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Charity costume Australian rules football match for the family of the late Marcus Clarke.jpg|thumb|Charity costume [[Australian rules football]] match for Clarke's family after his death, [[East Melbourne Cricket Ground]]]]