Melbourne history: Writer Marcus Clarke’s work at The Argus, State Library of Victoria

Born into wealth and power, Marcus Clarke never adjusted to life as a working man after the family fortune vanished into thin air.

Author Marcus Clarke, aged 20 in 1866. State Library of Victoria

While Marcus Clarke is best known for his powerful novel For the Term of His Natural Life, his own life was as colourful as any of the stories he wrote.

Clarke developed a taste for the decadent life while being raised in a powerful and apparently wealthy family in England in the mid-1800s.

But his fortunes soured at age 17 when his father died, and the family discovered their supposed wealth was an illusion.

The larrikin writer’s story is told in the latest episode of the free In Black and White podcast on Australia’s forgotten characters, with State Library Victoria librarian Andrew McConville:

Clarke moved to Australia, where his family had connections in high places.

But the bon vivant proved he wasn’t cut out to hold down a day job, and preferred to enjoy a lavish lifestyle despite being riddled by debt throughout his short adult life.

His uncle lined up a job at a bank, but he didn’t last long in such a mundane role.

Instead, Clarke began working on a farm and submitting stories to journals in Melbourne.

“When he came down to Melbourne, he was employed by The Argus as a staff journalist, but they sent him on one assignment to do a review of a concert,” Mr McConville says.

“And Marcus Clarke found something better to do so didn’t actually turn up to the concert, but still wrote the review, and very unluckily for him and unbeknownst to him, the singer at the concert had got ill and didn’t actually perform.

“So his employers weren’t that impressed with that. So he then became a freelance writer, and he was quite prolific.”

A scene from the 1927 convict film For the Term of His Natural Life, based on Marcus Clarke’s powerful novel.

Clarke wrote a first-person satirical column for The Argus called The Peripatetic Philosopher, a character who supposedly lived in gas pipe No. 2 at Cole’s Wharf, between King and Spencer streets.

He wrote revealing pieces on the plight of Melbourne’s homeless, a spoof account of the Melbourne Cup, and articles denouncing organised religion.

“He was ... always willing to poke fun at the Melbourne establishment and the conservative part of Melbourne,” Mr McConville says.

Clarke became a librarian at the State Library, but preferred to drink and carouse with fellow writers at the Yorick Club, which had a human skull for a mascot and rules that parodied Melbourne’s gentlemen’s clubs.

When friends visited, they needed only to glance at the two large lions guarding the State Library entrance to know if he was free.

“He would post (a) lighted cigar in the lion’s mouth, and that would show his friends that he was actually in the library if they wanted to come and see him,” Mr McConville says.

To find out more, listen to the interview in the free In Black and White podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or web.

See In Black & White in the Herald Sun newspaper every Friday for more stories and photos from Victoria’s past.