Marcus Clarke's novel For the Term of…

Marcus Clarke's novel For the Term of His Natural Life, published in book form in 1874, is based on research by the author as well as a visit to the penal settlement of Port Arthur.

Clarke, born in London on April 24, 1846, as the only son of William Hislop Clarke, had been educated at Highgate School.

He had emigrated to Australia, where his uncle, James Langton Clarke, is a county court judge.

He was at first a clerk in the Bank of Australasia, but showed no business ability, and had soon proceeded to learn farming at a station on the Wimmera River, Victoria.

He was already writing stories for the Australian Magazine, when in 1867 he joined the staff of the Melbourne Argus through the introduction of Dr. Robert Lewins.

He had briefly visited Tasmania in 1870 at the request of the Argus to experience at first hand the settings of articles he was writing on the convict period.

Old Stories Retold began to appear in the Australasian from February.

The following month, his great novel His Natural Life (later called For the Term of His Natural Life) had commenced serialization in the Australasian Journal.

The story follows the fortunes of Rufus Dawes, a young man transported for a theft, which he did not commit, from the victim of a mugging—to whom he was actually rendering assistance.

The harsh and inhumane treatment meted out to the convicts, some of whom had been transported for relatively minor crimes, is clearly conveyed.

The conditions experienced by the convicts are graphically described.