Ion Idriess in MAN Magazine - Greg Ray Just ONE page on the Collecting Books and Magazines web site based in Australia. Page updated 15th January, 2008. KG Murray’s Man Magazine had a strong association with Idriess shortly before the outbreak of World War 2. The first mention of the author’s name was in the magazine’s second issue, January 1937. Man staffer Gilbert Anstruther wrote an article about outback pioneers, into which class he adoringly placed Idriess. In May of the same year, Idriess’s first contributed article to the magazine appeared, a piece of fiction titled 'The Castaway'.

The following issue, June 1937, saw the appearance of the famous Idriess article, 'The Sniper', based on the author’s wartime experiences. The story was later included in 'The Man Storyteller' (1945), the first of two small volumes of the best stories from the magazine.

In September another non-fiction article, 'Men of the West', appeared. This article was about West Australian outback characters.

The next appearance of Idriess in Man was in March 1938. A large and flattering portrait of the author appeared with a short item describing his evidence to a Parliamentary inquiry into Aboriginal health.

April 1938 saw the momentous announcement that Man was to begin publishing Australasiana, a magazine within a magazine, to be edited by Ion Idriess. The magazine’s editorial page featured a facsimile letter by Idriess accepting the editorship and a full-page portrait of Idriess by Laurence Le Guay also appeared.

May 1938 was the first issue of Man to contain Australasiana, and it proudly bore Idriess’s name on its title page. The magazine also carried a short biography, illustrated with a photograph.

After October 1939, Australasiana continued, but Idriess was no longer described as editor. No public announcement was made. The article 'Out Where the Saltbush Grows' appeared in January 1940 but that was the end of the association between Idriess and Australasiana.

One final article by Idriess appeared in Man’s December 1954 issue: 'The Man Who was Skinned Alive'.

Idriess contributions to Australasiana are listed:

May 1938 Tennant’s in the bad old days June 1938 The “Dead Heart of Australia”, part 1 July 1938 In the Jungle Camps, part 1 The “Dead Heart” of Australia, part 2 August 1938 The Lamars came to Mer In the Jungle camps, part 2 September Wild Bush Days October The Land of the Opal In the Cape Country November The Massacre of Hopple’s Mob These too, were “Dinkum Aussies”

December 1938 Our Christmas at Ebagoolah January 1939 Where they Walk the Ocean Beds February 1939 On the Edge of Beyond March 1939 Land of the Long Patrols April 1939 The Quick and the Dead Characters May 1939 Island Kingdom June 1939 The People Out there July 1939 The Killers August 1939 So You’re Looking for gold September 1939 Australian Steel October 1939 More about the Gold bug January 1940 Out where the Saltbush grows

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