McAuley, James Phillip (1917-1976), was a noted Australian poet and critic. McAuley’s books of poems include Under Aldebaran (1946), his first collection; A Vision of Ceremony (1956); Captain Quiros (1964), a narrative in verse about the settling of Australia; Surprises at Sunrise (1969); Music Late at Night: Poems, 1970-1973 (1976); and A World of Its Own (1977). His Collected Poems, 1936-1970 was published in 1971. McAuley’s poetry is known for its formality, sophistication, and technical skill. He was part of a famous literary hoax in Australia in 1944 involving a fictitious poet named Ern Malley (see Ern Malley).
McAuley was born on Oct. 12, 1917, in Sydney and educated at Fort Street High School and the University of Sydney. He later became a schoolteacher. In 1956, he became the first editor of Quadrant, an Australian literary and political journal. McAuley was professor of English at the University of Tasmania from 1961 until his death. His prose works include The End of Modernity (1959), a book of literary criticism, and A Map of Australian Verse (1975). McAuley died on Oct. 15, 1976.
