Arthur W. Upfield
| Arthur Upfield | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
1 September 1890 Gosport, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 12 February 1964 (aged 73) Bowral, New South Wales |
| Occupation | Novelist, adventurer |
| Nationality | English/Australian |
| Genre | Detective fiction |
| Notable works | The Sands of Windee (1931) |
| Spouse | Ann Douglass |
Arthur William Upfield (1 September 1890 – 12 February 1964) was an English/Australian writer, best known for his works of detective fiction featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte of the Queensland Police Force, a half-caste Aborigine. His books were the basis for an 1970s Australian television series entitled "Boney", as well as a 1990 telemovie and a 1992 spin-off TV series.
Born in England, Upfield moved to Australia in 1911 and fought with the Australian military during the First World War. Following his war service, he travelled extensively throughout Australia, obtaining a knowledge of Australian Aboriginal culture that he would later use in his written works. In addition to writing detective fiction, Upfield was a member of the Australian Geological Society and was involved in numerous scientific expeditions.
In The Sands of Windee, a story about a "perfect murder", Upfield invented a method to destroy carefully all evidence of the crime. Upfield's "Windee method" was used in the Murchison Murders, and because Upfield had discussed the plot with friends, including the man accused of the murders, he was called to give evidence in court. The episode is dramatised in the film 3 Acts of Murder starring Robert Menzies.
Upfield was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England on 1 September 1890. His father was a draper. In 1911, after he did poorly in examinations towards becoming a real estate agent, Upfield's father sent him to Australia.
With the outbreak of World War I, he joined the First Australian Imperial Force on 23 August 1914. Upfield sailed from Brisbane on the HMAT Anglo Egyptian on 24 September 1914 to Melbourne. At the time of sailing he had the rank of Driver and was with the 1st Light horse Brigade Train (5 Company ASC [Army Service Corps]). In Melbourne he was at a camp for several weeks before sailing to Egypt. He fought at Gallipoli and in France and married an Australian nurse, Ann Douglass, in Egypt in 1915. He was discharged in England on 15 October 1919. Before returning to Australia, Ann gave birth to their only child, a son James Arthur Upfield, born in February 1920.
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