Billy Jones began keeping daily journals in June 1975, which has now amounted to a total of 167 unpublished journals. Some of these are currently held in the Fryer Library at the University of Queensland, and the Australian Defence Force Academy Library in Canberra. The journals are filled with personal reflections, letters, sketches, poetry, photographs, and other images that he drew inspiration from. As Jones began keeping these journals at the start of his career, his journey and development as an artist and poet can be traced through them. They also reveal significant artistic influences which are evident in his published works.
Jones begins his first journal, titled Peacock Journal: Minute Book, with the quote "To you whoever you are..." by Walt Whitman, one of his major artistic influences (Jones, personal journal, parcel 1, n.p.). He started this journal over a month after Kelly's death, and in his entry on 29 June, 1975, he writes the following which explains the special meaning behind this particular journal:
"I have begun a new journal... Renewal in the forest. It is really a sun-dance. Once American Indians sun-danced every two-three years to renew themselves and nature rejoiced. I have been sun-dancing since my beloved's death. Moon-dancing too and it opens out to the radiance of her spirit in the forest. Tiny grass wren. Blessed honeyeater. Dear little bird" (Jones, personal journal, parcel 1, n.p.).
He is clearly still grieving the loss of Kelly, and the entries in his first journal mention her frequently. Even his interest in nature and his belief that everything is connected to each other relates back to her, as he writes in one of the entries, "...what is nature but my lady's infinite presence" (Jones, personal journal, parcel 1, n.p.). Dealing with his sadness and grief over her death, he writes "Since Dianne's death time has flowed into a movement I can really no longer measure" (Jones, personal journal, parcel 1, n.p.), which explains his desire to write dated entries and record his daily activities. He also writes about wanting to use his first journal to start a new life—not as an artist or poet, but as a human. Consequently, he rarely includes poetry and artwork in it; however, a number of Jones's early artistic influences are identified in this journal, such as his interest in nature, Australian animal imagery, Japanese erotic art, Vincent van Gogh, and watercolour nature artworks. Furthermore, he expresses a sense of isolation in this journal as he mainly writes about Kelly, often retreating to the forest near his house or other secluded locations, while in his later journals he writes about a considerably larger number of people. There is also a stronger focus on his work in his later journals; however, they have become more of a place for personal reflection and sketches, rather than for his poetry.
Jones's 161st journal, titled Orgasmic Muse Fire Nature Spirit Eyes, is similar to his earlier journals in regards to the type of content it includes. It includes numerous sketches scattered throughout it—mainly portraits of women—and also references to other works such as the painting "The Slave Ship" by J.M.W. Turner. Additional information regarding other works that might have influenced his works are also identified in it, such as when he writes about his favourite works being Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, William Blake's Augeries of Innocence, Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, and the Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh. However, changes are evident in the style of his writing. In this journal, and particularly in his later journals, his writing seems to resemble stream of consciousness, flowing from one thought to the next. Compared to his earlier journals, there are more changes in thought and more that are of short length—like fragments rather than one coherent entry—and he distinguishes these changes in thought through different coloured pens.
Journals Held in the Fryer Library at the University of Queensland
From The Billy Jones Collection:
1. Peacock Journal
2. Peacock Journal
3. Peacock Journal
4. A Novel
5. Peacock Journal
6. Bliss Ledger
7. Bliss Ledger
8. Peacock Illumination
9. Lying On The Ground
10. Peacock Journey
11. Plus Ultra
12. Peacock Journal
13. Sperm
14. Bread
15. Baker's Ledger
16. Baker's Ledger
17. Grant Journal 1
18. Grant Journal 2
19. Grant Journal 3
20. Grant Journal 4
21. Grant Journal 5
22. Grant Journal 6
23. Cunt-Orchids
24. Cunt-Orchids
25. Nitty-Gritty
26. Smoko In Paradise
27. Cowpath To Eternity
28. It Ain't All Luck Babe
29. Cash Book
30. Day Book
31. Cash Book
32. More Nitty-Gritty
33. Risk Journal
34. In the Clear
35. Orgy Om Volts
36. In Love
37. Loving Her & Her Girls
38. The Model Lifts Her Dress
39. Smithereen Song
40. Final Revisions Holocaust Sydney etc
41. Saving Blank Page Space in “28”
42. Getting Ready
43. Mix Form Might
44. Mars Black
45. Eltham
100. 1 inherit 100,000 bucks
111. Tight as a rose bud
112. Wings of fire
113. The blonde at the end of the rainbow
114. Earth water air fire
115. Alone in a crowd
116. Like rain on a roof
117. Caressing the keys
118. Two zero zero zero
119. Made in Mexico
120. Write draw paint dream
121. No speaky bull shit
122. Doing time in eternity
123. No way out but love
124. Caboolture means carpetsnake
125. Edge
126. How’s it going mate
127. Facing each day with the newness it deserves
128. Chloe means blooming Stella means star
129. Silence is where the music comes from
130. Voyeur of the void
131. Crasy bone smithereen cricket din grace
132. Every time I see a sun flower I think of Vincent van Gogh
133. Rainbow tears and insect smile
134. Wherever I am is paradise
135. Fucked by an angel
136. Eyes are the stars of the face
137. You are what you create
138. Me-less a we at 69
139. I call the universe darling
140. What’s your name again
141. Never give up
142. Moaning the with muse
143. 30 years of keeping a journal without missing a day
144. Coping with the cosmic gene
146. Sun in face
147. The invisible goddess of nowhere
148. Blown to bits and back again
149. Misfit makes good
150. Past present future eternity
151. Junk flowers
152. Laugh before you leap
153. Cockpit to a star
154. Rays of brilliant laptop luck
155. Baywindow bottlebrush birdbath luck
156. Neck jolt Jones
157. Dust mote magic
158. Life goes by like a shooting star
159. Illumination on a shoestring
160. Write draw paint dream realize
161. Orgasmic muse fire nature spirit eyes
Interim Journals:
109. Incum journal #6
128. Gap
128. [con’t] Gap #2
133. Mag bag book
133. A drawing for your trouble, Gap between 133 and 134 continued
146. L-A-U-N-C-H (Wren and the art of mystical love-of-life maintenance)
From the Louise Campbell Collection:
Journal by Billy Jones (2 vols.): Mary Smokes Creek
Journal by Billy Jones: Essence
Journal by Billy Jones: Woodford
Journal by Billy Jones: Melbourne
Journal by Billy Jones: Caloundra (1)
Journal by Billy Jones: Caloundra (2)
You might be interested in...