Edward Vivian Timms (1895–1960) was an Australian novelist and screenwriter. He was injured serving in the Gallipoli Campaign during World War I and was an unsuccessful soldier settler before turning to writing. He became a popular novelist, and also wrote scripts for films and radio. He served as an officer during World War II and was on duty the night of the Cowra breakout. He has been called "Australia's greatest historical novelist."
Biography
Timms was born in Charters Towers, Queensland. His parents were William Henry Timms, a chemist from Worcester, England, and Bertha Bawden, from Victoria. After William Timms died in 1898, Bertha and Timms moved to Western Australia where she married a Presbyterian minister, Rev. Angus King. The family lived in Coolgardie and Fremantle (where Timms was taught at Fremantle Boys School by Thomas Blamey), before moving to Sydney.
War service
Timms studied electrical engineering before being commissioned in the 1st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, on 27 August 1914. He was promoted to lieutenant on 15 March 1915 and took part in the landing on Gallipoli on 25 April. He was wounded and invalided home.
Timms married Alma McRobert on 19 August 1916 and became a soldier settler. However, the experience was an unhappy one and Timms returned to the city.
Writing success
Timms began to publish stories, then novels, and eventually became one of the most popular writers in Australia. He was best known for his historical romances, although he also wrote radio scripts, adventure stories, biographies and screenplays.
The wrote the script for The Squatter's Daughter and in 1935 Timms signed a contract to work with Charles Chauvel. He worked on the scripts for Uncivilised and Forty Thousand Horsemen. He did not work on the script for Chauvel's Rats of Tobruk which has been called an error on the filmmaker's part.
Cowra break-out
During World War II Timms rejoined the army on 7 June 1940 and served until 21 June 1946. His service was spent in Australia and he finished with the rank of major. From October 1943 he was in charge of the Italians at the POW camp in Cowra. During the Cowra breakout he led C company in fending off a rear attack by the Japanese.
Later years
After the war Timms resumed his career, but focused increasingly on novel writing. He began a 12-part series of novels set in Australia about the Gubbys, an immigrant family from England. In 1954 he moved to Budgewoi, near Gosford.
Death
Timms died on 14 June 1960 of hypertensive heart disease. He was in the process of completing the eleventh novel in the saga, and his wife finished the job for him. She then wrote the 12th novel in the series on her own.
↑Barker, Anthony (1990). "Timms, Edward Vivian (1895–1960)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
