John Wren

John Wren (3 April 1871 – 26 October 1953) was an Australian businessman and underworld figure. He has become a legendary figure thanks mainly to a fictionalised account of his life in Frank Hardy's novel Power Without Glory, which was also made into a television series.

Power Without Glory

In 1950, the novelist and Communist Party of Australia member Frank Hardy launched a savage attack on Wren in his self-published 1950 novel Power Without Glory, in which Wren appears thinly disguised as a character called John West. The book also included characters based on other important Victorian and Australian political figures, including Victorian Premier Sir Thomas Bent and Prime Minister James Scullin, as well as Roman Catholic Archbishop Daniel Mannix.

Frank Brennan's son, the author Niall Brennan, gave a favourable portrayal of Wren in his 1971 biography, John Wren: Gambler. Hugh Buggy's The Real John Wren (1977), with a Foreword by Arthur Calwell, Federal Parliamentary Labor Party Deputy Leader, was also very favourable. A more balanced account was given by Chris McConville's article in Labor History, "John Wren: Machine Boss" (1981). John Wren: A Life Reconsidered by James Griffin (2004) presented an essentially positive,and more factual, view of Wren's life and career.

Wren's granddaughter, Gabrielle Pizzi, also achieved renown as an art dealer credited with raising the profile of Aboriginal art.

References

• Brennan, Niall. Dr Mannix. Rigby Limited Adelaide, 1964.
• Brennan, Niall. John Wren: Gambler. Melbourne, 1971.
• Buggy, Hugh, The Real John Wren, Melbourne, 1977.
• Griffin, James. Wren, John (1871–1953), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 12, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp 580–83.
• Griffin, James. John Wren: A Life Reconsidered, Scribe, Melbourne, 2004.
• Growden, Greg. The Snowy Baker Story. Random House Australia, 2003.