"The Golden Shanty" is a humorous short story by Australian writer Edward Dyson. It was first published in the 24 December 1887 issue of The Bulletin, and later included in the author's short story collection, Below and On Top, and in many short story anthologies. It was originally published under the title "The Profitable Pub". It is also known by the title "A Golden Shanty".

Plot summary The Shamrock Hotel stands on an abandoned goldfield near Ballarat in Victoria. It is owned by Irish-Australian publication Michael Doyle. After some local Chinese fossickers offer him £50 for the building, which he accepts, Doyle discovers that the hotel is made from high-yielding, gold-bearing clay bricks.

Further publications

A Golden Shanty: Australian Stories and Sketches in Prose and Verse, Bulletin, 1890 Below and On Top, George Robertson, 1898 The Golden Shanty, George Robertson, 1911 Australian Short Stories edited by George Mackaness, J. M. Dent, 1928 The Bulletin, 1 February 1950 Favourite Australian Stories edited by Colin Thiele, Rigby, 1963 The Golden Shanty, Angus and Robertson, 1963 Short Stories of Australia: The Lawson Tradition edited by Douglas Stewart, Angus and Robertson, 1967 Best Australian Short Stories edited by Douglas Stewart and Beatrice Davis, Lloyd O' Neill, 1971 It Could Be You edited by Hal Porter, Rigby, 1972 The Penguin Best Australian Short Stories edited by Mary Lord, Penguin, 1991 The Penguin Book of 19th Century Australian Literature edited by Michael Ackland, Penguin, 1993 From Yellow Earth to Eucalypt: Stories and Poems from China and Australia edited by Neil Whitfield, Longman, 1995

The story was also reprinted in a number of Australian newspapers.

Critical reception

The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature calls the story "one of Australia's most famous goldfields stories", and then goes on to state: "Despite its humour, 'A Golden Shanty' reflects the hostility that existed between white men and the Chinese on the goldfields.'"The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature edited by Wilde, Hooton and Andrews, 2nd edition, p300

See also 1887 in Australian literature

References