Colin Roderick

Colin Arthur Roderick was an Australian writer, editor, academic and educator.

Roderick was born in Mount Morgan, Queensland on July 27, 1911.

He attended Bundaberg State School and then, while working as a school teacher, studied through the external studies programme at the University of Queensland, graduating in 1936 with a B.A. He later graduated from the same university with a B.Ed., an M.A., an M.Ed., and finally, in 1954, with a Ph.D. for which he wrote a thesis on Australian novelist Rosa Praed. For part of this period he belonged to the Australian Army.

Roderick worked as editor for the Australian publisher and bookseller Angus & Robertson from 1945 through 1965 and was the firm's director in 1961–65.

During the 1950s he played an "instrumental" role in the setting up of a chair of Australian literature at the University of Sydney. He also helped establish the Miles Franklin Literary Award.

In 1965 he was appointed the inaugural professor of English at the James Cook University, in Townsville, Queensland.[3] During this period he set up the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies (FALS).[4] The Colin Roderick Award, founded in 1967, is named for him.

After retiring, Roderick was made emeritus professor in English at James Cook University and subsequently received an honorary Litt.D. from that university and from the Université de Caen.

Roderick died on June 16, 2000.