Argonauts Club - Publications

Publications

Eight annuals were published:

• A.B.C. Children's Hour Annual #1 1956. The Educational Press Pty Ltd. (printed by Cumberland Newspapers, Parramatta)
• A.B.C. Children's Hour Annual #2 1957 The Educational Press Pty Ltd. (printed by Cumberland Newspapers, Parramatta)
• A.B.C. Children's Hour Annual #3 1958 The Educational Press Pty Ltd. (printed by Halstead Press, Sydney)
• A.B.C. Children's Hour Annual #4 1960 The Educational Press Pty Ltd. (printed by Halstead Press, Sydney)
• A.B.C. Children's Hour Annual #5 1961 The Educational Press Pty Ltd. (printed by Halstead Press, Sydney)

Retitled:

• The Australian Children's Annual # 6 - # 8 ed. T. S. Hepworth. 1963 - 1965. Angus and Robertson, Sydney.

The Introduction to Annual # 6 (1963) advises readers that it contains contributions from 'your friends from the A.B.C. Children's Hour and The Australian Children's Newspaper '. The Introduction also states that 'There are over 70,000 children... in the Argonaut's Club...'

Two 'collaborative' children's books were published:

• Dangerous Secret (ABC, 1960) ed. John Gunn (Icarus)
• The Gold Smugglers (ABC, 1962) ed. John Gunn (Icarus)

Both books were works of fiction, with an Australian theme and edited by Thomas Stanley Hepworth who also edited the The Australian Children's Newspaper - a shortlived publication of the NSW Department of Education. Argonauts contributed a chapter for each stage of the plot, and the best was selected by Icarus for the final book. The illustrations were selected by the same process, under the guidance of Phidias (Jeffrey Smart).

These two publications seem to break the 'anonymity' rule of the Club: the names of the successful contributors are listed, instead of their ship number. In the case of The Gold Smugglers, a thumbnail photo and brief biography is included as well. This book (1962) states 'There are close on 100,000 members of the Argonaut's Club.'