Literature of Australia

•Written or literary work produced by people of Australia•Not so famous in field of

literature

Themes• Aboriginality• Mateship• Egalitarianism• Democracy• National Identity• Migration

Famous Authors

Banjo Paterson• Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson• Australian Bush Poet, Journalist

and Author• Created most popular Australian

bush poems

Notable Poems“Clancy of The Overflow”‘’The Man From Snowy River”“Waltzing Matilda”“Prelude”“Conroy’s Gap”

Christopher Brennan

• Influenced Australian writers• Christopher Brennan Award

was created (lifetime achievement in poetry)

Notable Poems

• Because She Would Ask Me Why I loved Her• Autumn• Epiloue 1908• Fire in the Heavens• I Am Shut Out Of Mine Own Heart• Spring Breezes• Sweet Silence After Bells

Adam Lindsay Gordon• Australian poet• Jockey• Politician• Once referred as National Poet Of

Australia• Only Australian with a monument in

poets corner of Westminster Abbey in England

Notable Poems

• A Dedication• An Exile’s Farewell• A Song of Autumn• Delilah• Doubtful Dreams

C.J Dennis•Clarence Michael James

Dennis•Wrote Australian

vernacular (“The Sentimental Bloke”)

Notable Poems• The Lovers• An Old Master• “Paw”• The Builders• Wheat• “Got-a-Fag”• The Chase of Ages

Dorothea Mackellar• Isobel Marion Dorothea

Mackellar• Australian poet and Fiction

writter• Her poem “My Country” Is best

known Australian poem because of its 2nd stanza

Notable Poems• My country• Fire This Life That We Call Our Own• Dawn at The Dawning of The Day• Colour• The Colours of Light• Burning Off• In a Southern Garden

Dame Mary Gilmor

• Teacher and a writer • Editor of woman’s pages of

The Australian Worker Newspaper for 23 yrs.

Notable Poems

• Eve-Song• Marri’d• Nationality• No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest• O Singer in Brown• Old Botan Bay

A.D Hope

• Alec Derwent Hope• Controversial figure erudite

mind and wicked wit to devastating effect as a critic

Notable Poems• On An Early Photograph of My

Mother• Patch And Mend• Poor Charley’s Dream• Croesus and Lais• Pervigilium Veneris• Apollo and Daphne

Judith Wright• Prolific Australian poet,critic,short story

writer• Published more than 50 books• Environmentalist, Social Activist

Campaigning aboriginal land rights• Believed that the poet should be

concerned with national ang social problems

Notable Poems

• The Old Prison• Request To a Year• Five Senses• Legend• Magpies• The Company of Lovers• Metho Drinker

Gwen Harwood• Australian poet librettist• One of the Australia’s finest poets• 420 works• (386 poems• 13 Librettos)• Mother of the Author John

Harwood

Notable Poems• In The Park• Last Meeting • Anniversary• Barn Owl• The Glass Jar• The Wound

Les Murray• Australia poet, Anthologist and

critic• Regarded as one of the leading

poets of his generation

Notable Poems• An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow• Noonday Axeman• Pigs• Poetry and Religion• On Home Beaches• The Aboriginal Cricketer