AustLit
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Contents
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The Bush Undertaker,
single work
short story
An old shepherd discovers his mate, Brummy, dead and mummified in the bush. Saddened, he feels compelled to bury him.
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The Drover's Wife,
single work
short story
First appearing in The Bulletin in 1892, Henry Lawson's short story 'The Drovers Wife' is today regarded as a seminal work in the Australian literary tradition. Noted for it's depiction of the bush as harsh, potentially threatening and both isolated and isolating, the story opens with a simple enough premise: an aggressive--and presumably deadly--snake disrupts the working life of a bushwoman and her young children. Brave but cautious, the woman resolves to protect her children since her husband is, characteristically, away from home and of no help.
As time passes within the story, tension builds, and the snake's symbolic threat takes on layers of meaning as the sleepless heroine recalls previous challenges she faced while her husband was away. A series of flashbacks and recollections propel the story through the single night over which it takes place, and by the time the climax arrives--the confrontation with the snake--readers have learned much about the heroine's strengths and fears, most of the latter involving the loss of children and dark figures who encroach upon her small, vulnerable homestead. To be sure, this "darkness" is highly symbolic, and Lawson's use of imagery invokes Western notions of good and evil as well as gendered and racial stereotypes.
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The Loaded Dog,
single work
short story
humour
Dave and Andy create a bomb to blast fish out of the waterhole. However their dog picks the bomb up and begins a deadly, yet hilarious, game of 'fetch'.
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Telling Mrs Baker,
single work
short story
Two drovers, Andy and Jack, watch their boss drink himself to death. They lie to his wife about the cause of his death to spare her unnecessary pain.
- Brighten's Sister-in-Law, single work short story (p. 38-59)
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Untitled,
single work
biography
A short biographical account.
- Home, single work short story (p. 65-84)
- What is Love?, single work short story (p. 85-99)
- The Foal, single work short story (p. 100-106)
- Josie, single work short story (p. 107-110)
- Mathieson's Wife, single work short story (p. 111-127)
- Everleigh's Accent, single work short story (p. 133-141)
- Country Town, single work short story (p. 142-157)
- First Love, single work short story (p. 158-169)
- They're Funny People, single work short story (p. 170-187)
- A Glass of Tea, single work short story (p. 193-214)
- Dead Roses, single work short story (p. 215-275)
- The Red-Backed Spiders, single work short story (p. 281-288)
- The Island, single work short story (p. 289-312)
- The Tractor, single work short story (p. 313-327)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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G. B. S. With Chutney
1974
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 15 June 1974; (p. 20)
— Review of An Australian Selection : Short Stories By Lawson, Palmer, Porter, White and Cowan 1974 anthology short story -
Collections of Old Favourites
1974
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 15 June 1974; (p. 13)
— Review of An Australian Selection : Short Stories By Lawson, Palmer, Porter, White and Cowan 1974 anthology short story -
Australian Folk Heroes
1974
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 11 May 1974; (p. 15)
— Review of An Australian Selection : Short Stories By Lawson, Palmer, Porter, White and Cowan 1974 anthology short story
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Collections of Old Favourites
1974
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 15 June 1974; (p. 13)
— Review of An Australian Selection : Short Stories By Lawson, Palmer, Porter, White and Cowan 1974 anthology short story -
G. B. S. With Chutney
1974
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 15 June 1974; (p. 20)
— Review of An Australian Selection : Short Stories By Lawson, Palmer, Porter, White and Cowan 1974 anthology short story -
Australian Folk Heroes
1974
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 11 May 1974; (p. 15)
— Review of An Australian Selection : Short Stories By Lawson, Palmer, Porter, White and Cowan 1974 anthology short story