person or book cover
y separately published work icon 'Mr. Bunyip', or, Mary Somerville's Ramble : A Story for Children single work   children's fiction   children's  
Issue Details: First known date: 1871... 1871 'Mr. Bunyip', or, Mary Somerville's Ramble : A Story for Children
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.

AbstractHistoryArchive Description

While strolling along the banks of the Murray River, young Mary Somerville meets a bunyip who gives her some sage advice in the form of moral tales about people from her local community. While the bunyip claims fairness towards all who do good, his representations of Indigenous Australians reflect the paternalistic attitudes of the time.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

Fairies in the Bush : The Emergence of a National Identity in Australian Fairy Tales Robyn Kellock Floyd , 2017 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , no. 43 2017;

'The outpouring of national sentiment as the colonies moved towards Federation heralded a quest for the ‘Australianising’ of children’s books: fairy tales were no exception. European fairy folk were placed in, or perhaps transported to, bush settings as authors re-imagined the ways in which the emigrant old-world creatures could claim a place in the Australian environment. This paper explores efforts of the early writers to locate an Australian fairyland in the ‘bush’ and contribute to the transmission of national identity.' (Publication abstract)

Fairies in the Bush : The Emergence of a National Identity in Australian Fairy Tales Robyn Kellock Floyd , 2017 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , no. 43 2017;

'The outpouring of national sentiment as the colonies moved towards Federation heralded a quest for the ‘Australianising’ of children’s books: fairy tales were no exception. European fairy folk were placed in, or perhaps transported to, bush settings as authors re-imagined the ways in which the emigrant old-world creatures could claim a place in the Australian environment. This paper explores efforts of the early writers to locate an Australian fairyland in the ‘bush’ and contribute to the transmission of national identity.' (Publication abstract)

Last amended 29 Apr 2015 12:28:33
X