Cirrus@Austlit

Exploring the Australian poetry scene from the late 1960s, early '70s through to the early '80s is essential in order to situate Billy Jones's works in the wider context of the time period that he began his poetry career. Jones arrived in Australia during the time when the Generation of '68 poets emerged with their anthology, The New Australian Poetry. This anthology was introduced and edited by John Tranter and published by Makar Press in 1979:

"It was in this work that Tranter immortalised the collective Generation of '68, indicating some kind of connection between a diverse group of poets who began to respond to the political and social climate and The New American Poetry of the late '60s and early '70s in an energetic and "new" way." (Kinsella, n.p.)

Markar Press or Markar: Magazine of New Writing founded in 1960 was the genre defining publication of the time. It was created by the English Society of the University of Queensland and was used as a publishing vehicle for aspiring artists and poets and in 1972 started publishing a small book of poetry three times a year titled "Gargoyle Poet Series". Poets who were published in this series include Graham Rowlands, Alan Wearne, Peter Annand, Antigone Kefala, Rae Desmond Jones, Kris Hemensley, Eric Beach, John Tranter, Philip Neilsen, Jennifer Maiden, John Scott, Geoff Page and also Billy Jones’s “A Cup Full of River” in 1978 (AustLit, 2014).

Up until 1967, the Australian poetry scene rarely diverged from the previous decades, however from the late 1960s and 1970s onward the Australian Poetry scene flourished as it was swamped with a new wave of young poets. The most influential and inspirational poetry throughout this period focused on unique Australian scenery, analyses of personal relationships, and free verse, which were becoming increasingly popular. Throughout the 1970s and '80s Poetry Australia was initially the most popular poetry journal, however, in the later years of 1970 Poetry Magazine became more popular due to its more avant-garde work (“Modern Australian Poetry” n.p.). In January 1971, the title of the magazine changed to New Poetry, emphasising a unique poetry movement. Billy Jones's work reflects this new wave of poetry and artwork throughout Australia with his starkly honest portrayal of everyday life. The 1970s was without doubt a time when experimental and unique modern Australian poetry flourished, and Billy Jones was one example.