Patrick White was born on 28th May 1912 in London to a family of Australian graziers. He and his parents returned to Australia when White was six months old. His childhood was an unhappy one. White was sent to boarding school in England at the age of 13. Here he developed an interest in writing and theatre. After school White worked as a jackaroo in Australia then went to Cambridge University. He wrote plays and poetry and in 1939 his first novel Happy Valley was published. Continue reading