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Ada Cambridge

I lived from 1844-1926. I was from Australia, and am in the Oceania category.

Ada Cambridge was born in Norfolk, England. When she married George Frederick Cross in 1870 she had already published works that revealed her strong religious beliefs. Cross was posted to Australia three weeks after their wedding, and he became Anglican minister to Wangaratta, Yackandandah, Ballan, Coleraine, Sandhurst and Beechworth in Victoria – finally moving to Williamstown in 1893. She lost two of her children during this time and her twenty-four year old son was to die in 1902. She returned to England for a visit in 1908, and again in 1912 when her husband retired. After Cross’s death in 1917 Cambridge returned to Victoria. In 1871 she was a contributor to the Australasian, Australian Journal, Bulletin, Atlantic Monthly and the Sydney Mail, writing poems and short sketches, short stories and essays. In 1875 she produced her first major work for the Australasian – a novel which was serialised. She continued to contribute serials to the Australasian, the Sydney Mail and The Age for the next twenty years. She also published novels that were not serialised and made for herself a literary reputation in Europe and in Australia. She, moreover, published five volumes of verse. Several of her novels were reprinted in the 1980s.

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  • A Dream Of Venice
    Numb, half asleep, and dazed with whirl of wheels,
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  • Despair
    Alone! Alone! No beacon, far or near!
    No chart, no compass, and no anchor stay!
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    Before me now a little picture lies—
        A little shadow of a childish face,
    53 lines
  • All-Saints' Day (1868)
    "But they are at peace."
    Never to weary more, nor suffer sorrow,--
    33 lines
  • Craven-Heart
    Those anguished voices in the air!
    Oh, I could shriek and tear my hair
    15 lines, 6 comments
  • An Anniversary
    I.
    AS flower to sun its drop of dew
    129 lines
  • Aunt Dorothy's Lecture
    Come, go and practise--get your work--
    Do something, Nelly, pray.
    96 lines
  • A Sermon
    Midsummer, 1867.
    We have heard many sermons, you and I,
    74 lines
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