'Kevin John Gilbert died on 1 April 1993 from a debilitating respiratory illness. He was an acclaimed Australian writer and he takes his place at the hem of 'the Australian national tradition'. During his life, however, he was an enigma to Australians, Aborigines and other Australians alike. This appreciation hopes to throw some light on the man by discussing first, my personal view, second, the literary authenticity of what he wrote about, and third, the public Kevin Gilbert.'