Arthur Groom (writer)

Arthur Groom was raised on the cattle station Rosabelle Downs in Queensland and worked as a jackaroo and journalist. In 1926, he went to Brisbane to write for The Sunday Mail. In 1930 he became the first honorary secretary of the National Parks Association of Queensland and was active in the promotion of national parks and environmental protection until his death. With Romeo Lahey, he established Binna Burra Lodge on the edge of the Lamington National Park, in southeast Queensland, in 1933. Though found medically unfit for service in World War II, he trained soldiers from the Canungra Army Base in jungle warfare. He was known for his almost legendary ability to walk long distances, and his sense of humour.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms9552 Papers of Arthur Groom (1904–1953)]. Retrieved on 3 April 2013.

Groom wrote frequently for Walkabout and other magazines, often accompanying stories with his own photographs.{{Citation | author1=Australian Geographical Society | title=Ormiston Gorge Central Australia (1 October 1947) | journal=Walkabout | publication-date=1 October 1947 | publisher=Australian National Travel Association | volume=13 | issue=12 | issn=0043-0064 }} He visited Central Australia and the Hermannsburg Mission in 1946 and 1947 and wrote about his experiences in I Saw a Strange Land. He also published a history of Lamington National Park and the Scenic Rim region in 1949. His last book, Wealth in the Wilderness, was based on the cattle industry of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. His published works reveal a great love for the Australian landscape and were illustrated with his own photographs. A selection of his photos is kept in the National Library of Australia digital collection.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an23012409 Arthur Groom collection [picture]]. Retrieved on 3 April 2013. Groom's papers, including the manuscript of an unpublished novel, are also held at the National Library of Australia.

• {{Cite book |last=Groom |first=Arthur |title=I Saw A Strange Land: Journeys in Central Australia |publisher=Angus & Robertson, Sydney |year=1950}}
• {{Cite book |last=Groom |first=Arthur |title=One Mountain After Another |publisher=Angus & Robertson, Sydney |year=1951}}
• {{Cite book |last=Groom |first=Arthur |title=Flood Waters |publisher=Unpublished |year=1953}}
• {{Cite book |last=Groom |first=Arthur |title=Wealth in the Wilderness |publisher=Angus & Robertson, Sydney |year=1955}}{{Citation | title=Bulls and Budgerigars (1 February 1956) | journal=The Bulletin | publication-date=1 February 1956 | publisher=John Haynes and J.F. Archibald | volume=77 | issue=3964 | pages=2 | issn=0007-4039 }}

• {{Citation | author1=Australian Geographical Society | title=Ormiston Gorge Central Australia (1 October 1947) | journal=Walkabout | publication-date=1 October 1947 | publisher=Australian National Travel Association | volume=13 | issue=12 | issn=0043-0064 }}
• {{Citation | author1=Australian Geographical Society | title=I know a dark green forest (1 April 1947) | journal=Walkabout | publication-date=1 April 1947 | publisher=Australian National Travel Association | volume=13 | issue=6 | issn=0043-0064 }}
• {{Citation | author1=Australian Geographical Society | title=POINT LOOKOUT (QUEENSLAND) (1 February 1951) | journal=Walkabout | publication-date=1 February 1951 | publisher=Australian National Travel Association | volume=17 | issue=2 | issn=0043-0064 }}

Arthur Groom died in Melbourne in 1953.

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• Australian outback literature of the 20th century

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Category:1904 births

Category:1953 deaths

Category:Australian conservationists

Category:Hikers

Category:20th-century Australian journalists