Xavier Herbert was born in Geraldton, Western Australia, and grew up there and in Fremantle. He trained as a pharmacist and worked and lived in Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin and then England where he married and wrote his first novel 'Capricornia' which was finally published by P R Stephensen in 1938. Herbert returned to Australia in 1932 and in 1946 he settled with his wife Sadie at Redlynch, near Cairns, Queensland. Herbert's other works include the autobiographical 'Disturbing Element' (1963), the novel 'Soldiers' Women' (1961), the novella 'Seven Emus' (1959) and the short story collection 'Larger than Life' (1963), as well as short stories and many articles expressing his strongly held opinions on various aspects of Australian life. His last work 'Poor Fellow My Country' was published in 1975 and won the Miles Franklin Award that year. Since his death two collections of Herbert 's writings have been published: 'Xavier Herbert' (1992), edited by Peter Pierce and Frances De Groen, which includes extracts from novels with other fiction, nonfiction and correspondence, and 'South of Capricornia' (1990), edited by Russell McDougall, which reprints stories written before 1934 and often published under pseudonyms. Xavier Herbert was awarded honorary doctorates by the Universities of Queensland and Newcastle.

In 1930, while returning to England after a failed marriage Sarah (Sadie) Cohen, nee Norden met Albert Francis Xavier Herbert. They returned to Australia in 1932, settled in Redlynch, near Cairns, Queensland, in 1951 and married at the Cairns Court House on 26 June 1953. Sadie Herbert died on 29 September 1979.

Derek Fielding was James Forsyth Librarian, University of Queensland, 1965-1992, and Pro-Vice Chancellor, Academic Services, University of Queensland, 1992-1994. He was President of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, 1975-1979. For a detailed biography see his obituary in Fryer Folios, 9 1: 26-27 in eSpace.