Nature, it seemed to many, was out of kilter.
The familiar transposed to unfamiliar space. It was, for all intents and purposes, Gothic par excellence, the dungeon of the world. Such events either took place on the edge of civilisation or within the colonial homestead.Īustralia ‘was a world of reversals, the dark subconscious of Britain.
Stories involved the protagonist becoming lost or disorientated, sometimes even abandoned, so that the protagonist is isolated from others in order to be confronted by events. The Australian bush transformed into a monstrous, spectral place, becoming the setting for nightmare and terror.ĭuring the colonisation of the country, earlier stories were tied to the violence of settler life, including stories of death and brutality where murder victims returned from the dead, and burial grounds were uncovered. The unique landscape of the country became an important element, therefore, becoming a character all of its own. Within Australia, the Gothic soon developed its own characteristics. Like traditional Gothic, Australian Gothic has an element of mystery and fear. The Gothic genre came to Australia as an imported genre (you’ll find a helpful post here on the ten elements of Gothic Literature) and took on many qualities of the traditional gothic, including the supernatural, romance and gloomy atmosphere. With its constant sense of dread, this film made a big impact on my life and as a result, my writing tends to naturally gravitate towards Australian Gothic. I make sure I watch it at least a couple of times a year. Recently I watched my favourite film, Picnic at Hanging Rock.
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