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The Australian Crisis [novel by C. H. Kirmess, 1909]

4 August 2012 · 1 Comment

[Editor: This novel about a Japanese invasion of Australia was written by Charles H. Kirmess. The story was originally published as a serial in The Lone Hand (Sydney) from October 1908 to August 1909, under the title of “The Commonwealth Crisis”; it was then published in book form in 1909 as The Australian Crisis by Thomas Lothian (Melbourne), George Robertson (Melbourne), and by the Walter Scott Publishing Company (London).]


Front cover of the George Robertson edition (April 1909)
Front cover of the George Robertson edition (April 1909)

The Australian Crisis

By

C.H. Kirmess


Contents

[Preface]

Part I
The feet of clay

I Ships that pass in the night
II An unadvertised immigration policy
III Dancing on a volcano
IV Japan explains
V Australia’s reply
VI A study of British sentiment
VII Naval power and world politics
VIII Colonial fancies
IX Parliament
X Pax Britannica
XI Furor Australiensis
XII Pereat! (The flaming elections)

Front cover of The Lone Hand, October 1908 (in which the first installment of “The Commonwealth Crisis” appeared)
Front cover of The Lone Hand, October 1908 (in which the first installment of “The Commonwealth Crisis” appeared)
Part II
The romance of the White Guard

I The march over a thousand miles
II In touch with the enemy
III The first campaign
IV Retreat and reinforcement
V The second campaign
VI The death ride

Part III
Birth-pangs of twentieth century nationhood

I Storm-clouds gathering in the West
II The mastery of the goldfields
III Clash of arms
IV Civil war in Australia and its inevitable result
V Great Britain garrisons the Northern Territory
VI A transformation scene in the North
VII Like tigers at bay
VIII Bleeding white
IX Massacre
X Black Christmas — Peace on Earth, but no great joy for Australia

George Robertson & Company
(Proprietary Ltd.)
Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane

First impression, April, 1909.
All rights reserved.



Source:
C. H. Kirmess, The Australian Crisis, Melbourne: George Robertson & Company, April 1909

Also published in two other editions:
C. H. Kirmess, The Australian Crisis, Melbourne: Lothian, 1909
C. H. Kirmess, The Australian Crisis, London: Walter Scott Publishing Company, April 1909

Editor’s notes:
The Preface was not included in the original list of contents, but has been included here so as to enable convenient accessibility.

Filed Under: books booklets pamphlets Tagged With: book, C. H. Kirmess (dates?) (author), invasion story, novel, SourceIACLibrary, The Australian Crisis (C. H. Kirmess 1909), year1909

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  1. Johnson Gangestad says

    25 March 2019 at 16:18

    Incredibly magnificent experience 🙂

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