Cirrus@Austlit

'Mt Lindesay lies in the McPherson Range on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. Described by one early twentieth century writer as resembling 'a crown pumpkin or a huge pudding mould', 1 its remarkable tiered upper section has long captured the imagination of those who care to gaze upon its vertical cliffs and dramatic lines.' (Introduction)

'The literary production of women in Queensland from Separation to World War II records and reflects on various aspects of colonial life and Australian nationhood in a period when white women's participation in public life and letters was steadily increasing. Unease with the colonial experience underpins many of the key themes of this body of work: the difficulty of finding a literary voice in a new land, a conflicted sense of place, the linking of masculinity with violence, and the promotion of racial purity. This chapter will explore how white women writers – for there were no published Indigenous women writers in this era – responded to the conditions of living and writing in Queensland prior to the social and cultural changes initiated by World War II.' (Extract)

'This article derives from an ongoing project to map regional print culture in twentieth century Queensland. An essentially qualitative methodology combined survey questionnaires with selected follow-up interviews. Conscious of the focus on metropolitan reading within existing Australia Council studies (1990, 1995), we were keen to explore issues of cultural consumption, distribution, exchange and community identity in a regional context.' (Introduction)

'Parades and processions were a major feature of life in Brisbane during World War I. Parades typically passed through the central business district turning the entire city into an urban backdrop for a public performance. Recruitment was a major issue for Australia during World War I and military parades featured prominently in the life of the city. The Brisbane Courier described the recruiting marches as ‘long columns of robust, khaki-clad manhood’ which ‘have swung down the street, with soldierly gait, setting a bright, sturdy example to shirkers to “go and get their dungarees on”’. By positioning the soldiers as heroic, well-built, and positive, processions helped to generate public enthusiasm for the war and to convince prospective recruits to join up. The message to the community is clear: if our soldiers are fit and spirited, then the Allies will win the war.' (Introduction)

'I am writing this paper on 26 January 2001 in the Queensland regional city Rockhampton. This is a public holiday for most Australians, Australia Day in the year of the centenary of Federation for many Australians, and Invasion Day for some Australians. This complex variety of attitudes to a single date encapsulates some of the themes to be explored in this paper.'

'This essay collection poses questions about story: what are our stories, how are they 'told', who tells them and how are they used? The writers explore the narratives by which we construct and realise our individual and collective identities. Stories can be shared to build and nourish relationships between individuals and groups and between generations. Stories can be lost and found. They can also be ignored, marginalised, hidden, stolen or silenced. We are involved in discovering and shaping our own cultural identities. What past and present stories will we remember, research, collect and preserve? What new stories will we create for changing times?' (Introduction)