Richard Rowe (9 March 1828 – 9 December 1879) was anEnglish author, also active inAustralia.
Rowe was born at Spring Gardens,Doncaster, then in theWest Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of Thomas Rowe, a Wesleyan minister. Thomas Rowe died while Richard was still very young; the remaining family moved toColchester, where Richard was educated at Mr Bradnack's school.[1]
Rowe came to theColony of New South Wales in 1853; by 1857 he was working on theMonth andThe Sydney Morning Herald sometimes using the pseudonym 'A Sassenach Settler'.[1] In 1858 hisPeter 'Possum's Portfolio was published in Sydney byJacob Richard Clarke, a volume of prose and verse dedicated to his benefactorNicol Drysdale Stenhouse. The prose included a short novel,Arthur Owen--An Autobiography, and most of the verse consisted of translations.
He belonged to a circle of writers which includedFrank Fowler,William Wilkes andSheridan Moore.[1]
Rowe returned to England, wrote for the newspapers and magazines, and was also the author of several books for young people, some of which did not appear until after his death on 9 December 1879 inMiddlesex Hospital. Amongst his better works wereEpisodes in an Obscure Life (1871) andFriends and Acquaintances (1871).
Rowe married in 1860 Mary Ann Yates, daughter of Jonathan Patten, who survived him with a son and three daughters.[1]
Rowe was in Australia for relatively short period, but two of his lyrics have been included in more than one anthology ofAustralian verse, includingAn Anthology of Australian Verse (1907), andPeter 'Possum's Portfolio is one of the earliest books of serious literature published in Australia.E. Morris Miller lists 18 of Rowe's books in hisAustralian Literature from its Beginnings, at least three of which have an Australian setting.
He was buried on the eastern side ofHighgate Cemetery.
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