y separately published work icon The Australian Essay anthology   biography   autobiography   essay  
Issue Details: First known date: 1968... 1968 The Australian Essay
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Contents

* Contents derived from the Melbourne, Victoria,:Cheshire , 1968 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
The Coming of Visitors, Mary E. Fullerton , single work autobiography
Fullerton recalls her childhood in an isolated settler's hut, and her shyness when rare visitors arrived.
(p. 7-14)
Snakes (from Childhood at Brindabella : My First Ten Years), Miles Franklin , extract autobiography (p. 16-23)
Note: Titled 'Snakes'
The Teams, Mary Gilmore , extract autobiography
Gilmore recalls the bullock teams which moved between small towns and outposts during her childhood.
(p. 25-37)
Kicking, J. Le Gay Brereton , single work autobiography
Brereton recalls two humorous incidents from his past when he was incited to kick another man.
(p. 39-42)
Trees, J. Le Gay Brereton , single work autobiography
Brereton recalls childhood forays into the Botanic Gardens.
(p. 42-44)
On Rabbits, Morality, Etc., Walter Murdoch , single work essay
Murdoch argues that although people may act with good intentions, the morality of their action depends on its consequences. The introduction of rabbits to Australia is cited as an example of good intentions leading to dire consequences.
(p. 46-51)
On Tail-Chasing, Walter Murdoch , single work essay
Murdoch believes that greed and social conflict have caused Australia to become like a dog chasing its tail. He argues that in order to overcome this strife, young men and women need to be trained as politicians who will promote ethics and ideals rather than acquisitiveness.
(p. 51-56)
Henry Lawson, Norman Lindsay , single work biography (p. 58-64)
Mateship : A Discursive Yarn, Henry Lawson , single work short story
Lawson celebrates mateship, and gives several examples of common people, including prisoners, sacrificing everything for their mates.
(p. 66-75)
The Meaning of Mateship, T. Inglis Moore , single work essay
Moore argues that the concept of Australian mateship has been treated uncritically by both its advocates and its detractors. He offers a taxonomy of mateship, dividing it between the exclusive type practiced by four groups - convicts, larrikins, trade unionists, and Marxists - and the inclusive type practiced by bushmen, gold-diggers and miners, idealists, fighting servicemen, contemporary city dwellers, and the Australian people in general. Moore argues that the exclusive type of mateship is characterised by opposition to another group in the social structure, and therefore consists of bitterness, narrowness, and intolerance, alongside the more positive attribute of loyalty. In contrast, the inclusive type of mateship is directed, not against other groups, but against the hazards of the environment, loneliness, danger and death, or towards an ideal.
(p. 77-90)
On Drawing it Mild, E. T. Brown , single work essay
Brown reflects on the ridicule suffered by those who adhere to, and expect others to adhere to, a strict ethical code. Although he admits that to err is human, and that emotion must sometimes outweigh rationality, he argues that such attitudes may also be an excuse for laziness and bad behaviour.
(p. 92-101)
Vance Palmer, Lewis Charles Rodd , single work biography
A short, two-paragraph biographical sketch.
(p. 102)
The Nonconformist : John Dunmore Lang, Vance Palmer , single work biography
Palmer writes of John Dunmore Lang, priest and politician, whose determination to see an independent, democratic Australia often led him into conflict with others.
(p. 103-113)
The Plight of the Uncanny Man, Clement Semmler , single work essay
Semmler argues that Australian society in 1959 has been overwhelmed by the mass media including movies, television, newspapers, and radio, mostly originating in the United States. Such media caters for the uninformed masses, at the expense of an appreciation of literature and intellectual thought.
(p. 115-127)
Hal Porter's Australia : South Gippsland and its Towns, Hal Porter , single work essay
Porter vividly depicts the natural beauty and peaceful lifestyle of the South Gippsland region. He suggests that the country towns of the region are free from many of the cares and concerns of the cities and suburbs.
(p. 129-143)
Ghosts, F. J. H. Letters , single work essay
Letters briefly describes the way ghosts have been depicted in literature, going back to the Ancient Greeks. He argues that modern manifestations are unimpressive, yet believes that people will continue to fear ghosts and other apparitions well into the future.
(p. 145-154)
Death, Charles MacLaurin , single work essay
MacLaurin ponders why people are afraid of death. He suggests the best we can do is fulfil our duty in life and adopt a fatalistic attitude.
(p. 156-170)
Literature and Morality, James McAuley , single work essay
McAuley argues that reluctance to judge the moral quality of literature may stem, not from opposition to censorship, but from an endorsement of immoral attitudes and behaviours. He believes that moral values are intrinsic to human beings, and that great literature must therefore necessarily express these same values.
(p. 172-178)
Poetry, Prayer, and Trade, A. D. Hope , single work essay
Hope argues that any subject - including prayer, trade, and science - may be a proper subject for poetry, if the poet takes a metaphysical approach.
(p. 180-190)
X