AustLit

‘The primary task of the colonial journals was to reflect colonial society, to analyse and dissect it, to chronicle its fashions and foibles and to comment on its prospects for the future. The colonial scene was never homogeneous; in fact, it was remarkably diverse, composed of numerous different interest groups interacting with each other, competing with each other and so on. Given all these different constituencies, who then could be properly identified as a colonial? The journals all wanted to invest in the idea of a representative type who could carry the aspirations of a developing nation. At the same time, the colonies were busily distinguishing themselves from one another; and besides, there was little agreement among commentators as to the qualities that best typified colonial ideals. The journals soon turned their attention to the dynamics of colonial populations, chronicling an extraordinarily wide variety of practices, dispositions, social classes and occupations. The proliferation of character ‘sketches’ across journals during this time reveals an increasingly fractured social economy. It also brings a great deal of colonial literary writing – think of some of Henry Lawson’s short stories and poems, for example – into close proximity with the interests of social journalism. Alongside the guest or a representative national character we see the emergence of a multiplicity of minor colonial types, some inherited from Europe and America and some locally developed. Each type inhabits its own set of narratives and is given a life-cycle – a destination – that is always assessed in terms of its ability to contribute to the nation’s wellbeing.’ (Authors introduction)