Cirrus@Austlit

Elliott identifies the origins of the bush ballad in the oral folk-life of nineteenth century Australians. Examining the various immigrant ballads and shearers' ballads that were passed from singer to singer, Elliott compares them with traditional literary ballads to demonstrate how the bush ballad adapted earlier forms.

Elliott defends Field as the first Australian "literary" poet, citing Charles Lamb's commentary in the Examiner, before providing some brief biographical notes and an account of Field's other writings, concluding that he was a "literary romantic".

Elliott examines Paterson's writing for artistic value, concluding that Paterson was a "plain blunt journalist" and a "good unpretentious Australian writer". Elliott argues that Paterson's writing should be evaluated in this context to achieve a genuine assessment.

One of the first substantial defences of the artistic value of Steele Rudd's writing that laments the distortion of characters for dramatic performance on stage and on radio.