'In the 1940s and ‘50s, the kinds people who were idolised by Australians were somewhat different to today’s heroes. Dame Mary Gilmore, who died in 1962 at the age of 97, was greatly revered as a poet, writer and social reformer. Today, she seems little remembered and her books are out of print and difficult to find. Even those who recognise her face on the $10 note may know little of her poetry and life.' (p. 25)