AustLit

Fullerton recalls her childhood in an isolated settler's hut, and her shyness when rare visitors arrived.

Gilmore recalls the bullock teams which moved between small towns and outposts during her childhood.

Brereton recalls two humorous incidents from his past when he was incited to kick another man.

Brereton recalls childhood forays into the Botanic Gardens.

Murdoch argues that although people may act with good intentions, the morality of their action depends on its consequences. The introduction of rabbits to Australia is cited as an example of good intentions leading to dire consequences.

Murdoch believes that greed and social conflict have caused Australia to become like a dog chasing its tail. He argues that in order to overcome this strife, young men and women need to be trained as politicians who will promote ethics and ideals rather than acquisitiveness.

Lawson celebrates mateship, and gives several examples of common people, including prisoners, sacrificing everything for their mates.

Moore argues that the concept of Australian mateship has been treated uncritically by both its advocates and its detractors. He offers a taxonomy of mateship, dividing it between the exclusive type practiced by four groups - convicts, larrikins, trade unionists, and Marxists - and the inclusive type practiced by bushmen, gold-diggers and miners, idealists, fighting servicemen, contemporary city dwellers, and the Australian people in general. Moore argues that the exclusive type of mateship is characterised by opposition to another group in the social structure, and therefore consists of bitterness, narrowness, and intolerance, alongside the more positive attribute of loyalty. In contrast, the inclusive type of mateship is directed, not against other groups, but against the hazards of the environment, loneliness, danger and death, or towards an ideal.

Brown reflects on the ridicule suffered by those who adhere to, and expect others to adhere to, a strict ethical code. Although he admits that to err is human, and that emotion must sometimes outweigh rationality, he argues that such attitudes may also be an excuse for laziness and bad behaviour.

A short, two-paragraph biographical sketch.

Palmer writes of John Dunmore Lang, priest and politician, whose determination to see an independent, democratic Australia often led him into conflict with others.

Semmler argues that Australian society in 1959 has been overwhelmed by the mass media including movies, television, newspapers, and radio, mostly originating in the United States. Such media caters for the uninformed masses, at the expense of an appreciation of literature and intellectual thought.

Porter vividly depicts the natural beauty and peaceful lifestyle of the South Gippsland region. He suggests that the country towns of the region are free from many of the cares and concerns of the cities and suburbs.

Letters briefly describes the way ghosts have been depicted in literature, going back to the Ancient Greeks. He argues that modern manifestations are unimpressive, yet believes that people will continue to fear ghosts and other apparitions well into the future.

MacLaurin ponders why people are afraid of death. He suggests the best we can do is fulfil our duty in life and adopt a fatalistic attitude.

McAuley argues that reluctance to judge the moral quality of literature may stem, not from opposition to censorship, but from an endorsement of immoral attitudes and behaviours. He believes that moral values are intrinsic to human beings, and that great literature must therefore necessarily express these same values.

Hope argues that any subject - including prayer, trade, and science - may be a proper subject for poetry, if the poet takes a metaphysical approach.