AustLit logo
Issue Details: First known date: 1984... 1984 Cross-Country : A Book of Australian Verse
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.

Contents

* Contents derived from the Richmond, East Melbourne - Richmond area, Melbourne, Victoria,:Heinemann , 1984 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
A Midsummer Noon in the Australian Forest "Not a sound disturbs the air," A Mid-Summer Noon in the Australian Foresti"Not a bird disturbs the air,", Charles Harpur , single work poetry (p. 8-9)
Aboriginal Death Songi"Behold, it is the camp-fire of our Brother!-", Charles Harpur , single work poetry (p. 9)
The Dream by the Fountaini"Thought-weary and sad, I reclined by a Fountain", Charles Harpur , single work poetry (p. 9-12)
The Creek of the Four Gravesi"I tell a Settler's tale of the old times,", Charles Harpur , single work poetry
A group of white men wander into the Australian wilderness in search of discovery. They marvel at the foreignness of the landscape before settling down to sleep at their camp. They are woken by an attack from a group of Indigenous Australians. Seeing his friends killed, Egremont flees into a creek and finds a cavity in the earth to hide in. His pursuers give up their hunt, unable to find him, and he escapes. 
(p. 12-22)
Prefatory Sonnets : Ii"I purposed once to take my pen and write", Henry Kendall , single work extract poetry (p. 24-25)
Prefatory Sonnets : IIi"So take these kindly, even though there be", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 24-25)
The Muse of Australiai"Where the pines with the eagles are nestled in rifts,", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 25)
The Last of His Tribei"He crouches, and buries his face on his knees,", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 26-27)
Bell-Birdsi"By channels of coolness the echoes are calling,", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 27-28)
September in Australiai"Grey Winter hath gone, like a wearisome guest,", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 28-29)
Bill the Bullock Driveri"The leaders of millions - the lords of the lands", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 30-32)
The Man from Snowy Riveri"There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around", A. B. Paterson , single work poetry (p. 34-37)
Clancy of the Overflowi"I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better", A. B. Paterson , single work poetry (p. 37-38)
Black Swansi"As I lie at rest on a patch of clover", A. B. Paterson , single work poetry (p. 39-40)
The Ballad of the Droveri"Across the stony ridges, across the rolling plain,", Henry Lawson , single work poetry (p. 42-44)
The Roaring Daysi"The night too quickly passes,", Henry Lawson , single work poetry (p. 44-46)
The Sliprails and the Spuri"The colours of the setting sun", Henry Lawson , single work poetry (p. 46-47)
Middleton's Rouseabouti"Tall and freckled and sandy,", Henry Lawson , single work poetry satire humour (p. 47-48)
Borderland Up the Countryi"I am back from up the country - very sorry that I went -", Henry Lawson , single work poetry humour (p. 48-50)
The Wanderer : 1902- : 86i"When window-lamps had dwindled, then I rose", Christopher Brennan , single work poetry (p. 52)
* Contents derived from the Richmond, East Melbourne - Richmond area, Melbourne, Victoria,:Heinemann Education Australia , 1988 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
A Midsummer Noon in the Australian Forest "Not a sound disturbs the air," A Mid-Summer Noon in the Australian Foresti"Not a bird disturbs the air,", Charles Harpur , single work poetry (p. 8-9)
Aboriginal Death Songi"Behold, it is the camp-fire of our Brother!-", Charles Harpur , single work poetry (p. 9)
The Creek of the Four Gravesi"I tell a Settler's tale of the old times,", Charles Harpur , single work poetry
A group of white men wander into the Australian wilderness in search of discovery. They marvel at the foreignness of the landscape before settling down to sleep at their camp. They are woken by an attack from a group of Indigenous Australians. Seeing his friends killed, Egremont flees into a creek and finds a cavity in the earth to hide in. His pursuers give up their hunt, unable to find him, and he escapes. 
(p. 12-22)
The Muse of Australiai"Where the pines with the eagles are nestled in rifts,", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 25)
Prefatory Sonnets : Ii"I purposed once to take my pen and write", Henry Kendall , single work extract poetry (p. 25-26)
The Last of His Tribei"He crouches, and buries his face on his knees,", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 26-27)
Bell-Birdsi"By channels of coolness the echoes are calling,", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 27-28)
September in Australiai"Grey Winter hath gone, like a wearisome guest,", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 28-30)
Bill the Bullock Driveri"The leaders of millions - the lords of the lands", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 30-32)
The Man from Snowy Riveri"There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around", A. B. Paterson , single work poetry (p. 34-37)
Clancy of the Overflowi"I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better", A. B. Paterson , single work poetry (p. 37-38)
Black Swansi"As I lie at rest on a patch of clover", A. B. Paterson , single work poetry (p. 39-40)
The Ballad of the Droveri"Across the stony ridges, across the rolling plain,", Henry Lawson , single work poetry (p. 42-44)
The Roaring Daysi"The night too quickly passes,", Henry Lawson , single work poetry (p. 44-46)
Middleton's Rouseabouti"Tall and freckled and sandy,", Henry Lawson , single work poetry satire humour (p. 47-48)
Borderland Up the Countryi"I am back from up the country - very sorry that I went -", Henry Lawson , single work poetry humour (p. 48-50)
The Wanderer : 1902- : 86i"When window-lamps had dwindled, then I rose", Christopher Brennan , single work poetry (p. 52)
The Wanderer : 1902- : 87i"Each day I see the long ships coming into port", Christopher Brennan , single work poetry (p. 52-53)
The Wanderer, Christopher Brennan , sequence poetry (p. 52-58)
The Wanderer : 1902- : 89i"O tame heart, and why are you weary and cannot rest?", Christopher Brennan , single work poetry (p. 53)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

The Environmental Ethics of Australian Nature Poems Norbert H. Platz , 2007 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australia : Making Space Meaningful 2007; (p. 81-101)
‘The basic contention inspiring this paper is: poets care about Australia’s physical environment and human survival in Australia. Australian literature contains a substantial body of knowledge that could be deployed to constitute the imaginative core of an environmental ethic. Thus a great many Australian literary texts could be studied with the purpose of helping to usher in the desirable concept of an environmentally literate community. The essay is divided into two sections. Section one will provide a brief survey of environmental ethics. This survey is followed by the exposition of six deontic or prescriptive outlines, to be supplemented by some eudaemonic considerations. The latter envisage the notion of the ‘good life,’ in harmony with nature. In section two, important insights furnished by environmental ethics will be used as an orientation towards identifying the environmental concerns shown in a variety of Australian nature poems. Among the authors considered are Bruce Dawe, Dorothy Hewett, John Kinsella, Mark O’Connor, John Shaw Neilson, Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker), and last but not least Judith Wright. As will be seen, there are many convergences and correspondences between the basic claims made by environmental ethics, and the environmental insights and experiences that have been accumulated in a noteworthy corpus of Australian nature poems. What is enshrined in these poems is the ‘collective prudence,’ not only of a cultural elite, but also of the modern Everyman.’ (Author’s abstract p.81)
Two Poetry Anthologies : The World's Contracted Thus and Cross Country Annie Greet , 1990 single work criticism
— Appears in: Making Connections : Introducing Nine Texts for Senior English Studies 1990; (p. 73-85)
Two Poetry Anthologies : The World's Contracted Thus and Cross Country Annie Greet , 1990 single work criticism
— Appears in: Making Connections : Introducing Nine Texts for Senior English Studies 1990; (p. 73-85)
The Environmental Ethics of Australian Nature Poems Norbert H. Platz , 2007 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australia : Making Space Meaningful 2007; (p. 81-101)
‘The basic contention inspiring this paper is: poets care about Australia’s physical environment and human survival in Australia. Australian literature contains a substantial body of knowledge that could be deployed to constitute the imaginative core of an environmental ethic. Thus a great many Australian literary texts could be studied with the purpose of helping to usher in the desirable concept of an environmentally literate community. The essay is divided into two sections. Section one will provide a brief survey of environmental ethics. This survey is followed by the exposition of six deontic or prescriptive outlines, to be supplemented by some eudaemonic considerations. The latter envisage the notion of the ‘good life,’ in harmony with nature. In section two, important insights furnished by environmental ethics will be used as an orientation towards identifying the environmental concerns shown in a variety of Australian nature poems. Among the authors considered are Bruce Dawe, Dorothy Hewett, John Kinsella, Mark O’Connor, John Shaw Neilson, Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker), and last but not least Judith Wright. As will be seen, there are many convergences and correspondences between the basic claims made by environmental ethics, and the environmental insights and experiences that have been accumulated in a noteworthy corpus of Australian nature poems. What is enshrined in these poems is the ‘collective prudence,’ not only of a cultural elite, but also of the modern Everyman.’ (Author’s abstract p.81)
Last amended 25 Oct 2004 09:21:11
X