CONTENTS Foreword by Thomas Keneally xxviii About the Editors xxxii List of Abbreviations xxxiv Acknowledgements xxxv General Introduction Nicholas Jose 1 Aboriginal Literature Anita Heiss and Peter Minter 7 Literature to 1900 Elizabeth Webby 15 Literature 1900–1950 Nicole Moore 23 Fiction and Drama from 1950 Kerryn Goldsworthy 31 Poetry and Non-fi ction from 1950 David McCooey 41 GEORGE WORGAN (1757–1838) 51 From Journal of a First Fleet Surgeon 51 WATKIN TENCH (1758–1833) 56 From A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson 56 BENNELONG (c. 1764–1813) 60 Letter to Mr Philips, Lord Sydney’s Steward 60 ELIZABETH MACARTHUR (1766–1850) 61 Letter to Brigid Kingdon 61 MATTHEW FLINDERS (1774–1814) 63 From A Voyage to Terra Australis 64 BARRON FIELD (1786–1846) 65 The Kangaroo 66 Australian PEN Anthology PAGES (US Edition).indd v 7/5/09 11:04:02 AM vi | Contents ANONYMOUS 68 The Native’s Lament 68 HENRY SAVERY (1791–1842) 69 From The Hermit in Van Diemen’s Land 69 ANONYMOUS 73 A Swan River Eclogue 73 ANONYMOUS 75 Jim Jones at Botany Bay 75 CHARLES STURT (1795–1869) 76 From Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia 76 ELIZA DUNLOP (1796–1880) 80 The Aboriginal Mother (from Myall’s Creek) 81 FRANK THE POET (c. 1810–c. 1861) 83 A Convict’s Tour to Hell 83 ANONYMOUS 89 Moreton Bay 89 ELIZA BROWN (1810–1896) 91 Letter to Her Father 91 LOUISA ANNE MEREDITH (1812–1895) 94 From Notes and Sketches of New South Wales 94 CHARLES HARPUR (1813–1868) 99 The Beautiful Squatter 100 A Mid-Summer Noon in the Australian Forest 101 A Confession 102 The Consummation 102 MARY ANN ARTHUR (c. 1819–1871) 103 Letter to Colonial Secretary, Van Diemen’s Land 103 WALTER GEORGE ARTHUR (c. 1820–1861) 103 Letter to Colonial Secretary, Van Diemen’s Land 104 ELLEN CLACY (c. 1820–?) 105 From A Lady’s Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852–1853 106 CAROLINE CARLETON (c. 1820–1874) 109 The Song of Australia 109 THOMAS BRUNE (c. 1823–1841) 110 The Aboriginal or Flinders Island Chronicle 110 The Flinders Island Weekly Chronicle 111 Weekly Chronicle 112 Australian PEN Anthology PAGES (US Edition).indd vi 7/5/09 11:04:02 AM Contents | vii WILLIAM BARAK (c. 1824–1903) 112 Letter to the Editor by the Coranderrk Aborigines 113 CATHERINE HELEN SPENCE (1825–1910) 113 From Clara Morison 114 ROLF BOLDREWOOD (1826–1915) 117 From Robbery Under Arms 117 D.H. DENIEHY (1828–1865) 121 Speech on Mr Wentworth’s Constitutional Bill 122 ANONYMOUS 126 The Eumerella Shore 126 ANONYMOUS 127 The Wild Colonial Boy 127 ADAM LINDSAY GORDON (1833–1870) 128 The Sick Stockrider 128 WAIF WANDER (c. 1833–c. 1910) 131 The Spider and the Fly 131 LOUISA ATKINSON (1834–1872) 138 Cabbage-Tree Hollow, and the Valley of the Grose 138 GEORGE CHANSON (1835–1898) 142 Stringy Bark and Green Hide 142 ERNEST GILES (1835–1897) 143 From Australia Twice Traversed 143 HENRY KENDALL (1839–1882) 147 Bell-birds 148 The Late Mr A.L. Gordon: In Memoriam 149 W.H.L. RANKEN (1839–1902) 151 From The Dominion of Australia 151 A.J. BOYD (1842–1928) 153 The Shepherd 154 JOSEPH FURPHY (1843–1912) 155 From Such is Life 155 ADA CAMBRIDGE (1844–1926) 163 Seeking 164 An Answer 164 The Wind of Destiny 164 MARCUS CLARKE (1846–1881) 176 From His Natural Life 177 Australian PEN Anthology PAGES (US Edition).indd vii 7/5/09 11:04:02 AM viii | Contents Nasturtium Villas 184 Preface to Adam Lindsay Gordon’s Sea Spray and Smoke Drift 188 MARY HANNAY FOOTT (1846–1918) 192 Where the Pelican Builds 192 LOUISA LAWSON (1848–1920) 193 That Nonsensical Idea 193 TASMA (1848–1897) 196 Monsieur Caloche 197 BESSIE CAMERON (c. 1851–1895) 212 Letter to the Editor 212 E.J. BANFIELD (1852–1923) 213 From The Confessions of a Beachcomber 213 TAAM SZE PUI (c. 1853–1926) 217 From My Life and Work 218 AUDREY TENNYSON (1854–1916) 219 Letter to Her Mother 220 NED KELLY (1855–1880) 224 The Jerilderie Letter 224 PRICE WARUNG (1855–1911) 228 How Muster-Master Stoneman Earned His Breakfast 228 BARBARA BAYNTON (1857–1929) 235 The Chosen Vessel 235 VICTOR DALEY (c. 1858–1905) 240 Correggio Jones 241 KITTY BRANGY (c. 1859–1918) 243 Letter to Edith Brangy 243 ANNIE RICH (c. 1859–1937) 244 Letter to Solicitor, for Captain Page, Secretary of the Victorian Board for the Protection of Aborigines 244 WILLIAM COOPER (c. 1861–1941) 245 Petition to the King 245 BANJO PATERSON (1864–1941) 246 The Man from Snowy River 246 Waltzing Matilda 249 Mulga Bill’s Bicycle 250 A.G. STEPHENS (1865–1933) 251 A Poet’s Mother 252 Australian PEN Anthology PAGES (US Edition).indd viii 7/5/09 11:04:02 AM Contents | ix MARY GILMORE (1865–1962) 255 Eve-Song 256 The Measure 257 Old Botany Bay 257 Australia 258 Fourteen Men 259 BARCROFT BOAKE (1866–1892) 260 Where the Dead Men Lie 260 BERNARD O’DOWD (1866–1953) 262 Australia 262 HENRY LAWSON (1867–1922) 262 Faces in the Street 263 The Drover’s Wife 266 The Union Buries Its Dead 272 In a Dry Season 276 STEELE RUDD (1868–1935) 278 From On Our Selection! 279 MARY E. FULLERTON (1868–1946) 282 War Time 282 ETHEL TURNER (1870–1958) 283 From Seven Little Australians 283 CHRISTOPHER BRENNAN (1870–1932) 286 ‘She is the night: all horror is of her’ 287 ‘Fire in the heavens, and fi re along the hills’ 288 ‘O desolate eves along the way, how oft’ 289 ‘The land I came thro’ last was dumb with night’ 289 HENRY HANDEL RICHARDSON (1870–1946) 290 From The Fortunes of Richard Mahony 291 LOUIS STONE (1871–1935) 298 From Jonah 298 JOHN LE GAY BRERETON (1871–1933) 304 ANZAC 304 Transports 305 MAGGIE MOBOURNE (c. 1872–1917) 305 Petition to D.N. McLeod, Vice-Chairman of the Victorian Board for the Protection of Aborigines 306 CONSTANCE CAMPBELL PETRIE (1872–1926) 307 From Tom Petrie’s Reminiscences of Early Queensland 307 Australian PEN Anthology PAGES (US Edition).indd ix 7/5/09 11:04:02 AM x | Contents JOHN SHAW NEILSON (1872–1942) 311 Honeythirst 312 The Girl With the Black Hair 312 The Orange Tree 313 The Poor, Poor Country 314 DAVID UNAIPON (1872–1967) 315 Aborigines, Their Traditions and Customs: Where Did They Come From? 316 Hungarrda 317 Narrinyeri Saying 320 The Voice of the Great Spirit 320 ANNA MORGAN (1874–1935) 322 Under the Black Flag 322 FRED BIGGS (c. 1875–1961) and ROLAND ROBINSON (1912–1992) 323 The Star-Tribes 323 C.J. DENNIS (1876–1938) 324 From The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke 324 LOUIS ESSON (1878–1943) 328 From The Time is Not Yet Ripe 328 P.J. HARTIGAN (1878–1952) 339 Said Hanrahan 339 MILES FRANKLIN (1879–1954) 342 From My Brilliant Career 343 Letter to Katharine Susannah Prichard 351 C.E.W. BEAN (1879–1968) 354 From On the Wool Track 354 NORMAN LINDSAY (1879–1969) 360 From The Magic Pudding 360 FREDERIC MANNING (1882–1935) 365 From The Middle Parts of Fortune 365 WILLIAM FERGUSON (1882–1950) and JOHN PATTEN (1905–1957) 370 Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights! 370 ANNA WICKHAM (1883–1947) 377 The Sick Assailant 378 Australian PEN Anthology PAGES (US Edition).indd x 7/5/09 11:04:02 AM Contents | xi KATHARINE SUSANNAH PRICHARD (1883–1969) 378 Marlene 379 Letter to Miles Franklin 386 DOROTHEA MACKELLAR (1885–1968) 388 My Country 388 NETTIE PALMER (1885–1964) 390 From Fourteen Years 390 LESBIA HARFORD (1891–1927) 397 In the Public Library 397 ‘My heart is a pomegranate full of sweet fancies’ 399 Machinist’s Song 399 Grotesque 399 MARTIN BOYD (1893–1972) 400 From Outbreak of Love 400 JEAN DEVANNY (1894–1962) 403 From Sugar Heaven 403 ROBERT MENZIES (1894–1978) 407 The Forgotten People 407 A.B. FACEY (1894–1982) 411 From A Fortunate Life 411 MARJORIE BARNARD (1897–1987) 415 Australian Literature 415 The Persimmon Tree 418 M. BARNARD ELDERSHAW (1897–1987 Barnard; 1897–1956 Eldershaw) 421 From Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow 421 NORMAN HARRIS (c. 1898–1968) 432 Letter to Jim Bassett 432 RICKETTY KATE (1898–1971) 435 Via the Bridge 435 A.A. PHILLIPS (1900–1985) 437 The Cultural Cringe 437 KENNETH SLESSOR (1901–1971) 441 Up in Mabel’s Room 441 Backless Betty from Bondi 442 Five Bells 443 Last Trams 446 South Country 447 Beach Burial 448 Australian PEN Anthology PAGES (US Edition).indd xi 7/5/09 11:04:02 AM xii | Contents XAVIER HERBERT (1901–1984) 449 From Capricornia 449 ELEANOR DARK (1901–1985) 463 From The Timeless Land 464 PEARL GIBBS (1901–1983) 470 Radio Broadcast 470 J.M. HARCOURT (1902–1971) 473 From Upsurge 473 CHRISTINA STEAD (1902–1983) 475 From For Love Alone 476 Uncle Morgan at the Nats 485 ALAN MARSHALL (1902–1984) 491 The Grey Kangaroo 492 DYMPHNA CUSACK (1902–1981) and FLORENCE JAMES (1902–1993) 495 From Come in Spinner 496 ROBERT D. FITZGERALD (1902–1987) 500 The Wind at Your Door 501 LENNIE LOWER (1903–1947) 505 Where the Cooler Bars Grow 505 EVE LANGLEY (1904–1974) 508 Native-born 508 From The Pea Pickers 509 JOHN MORRISON (1904–1998) 515 The Nightshift 515 DOUG NICHOLLS (1906–1988) 521 Letter to the Editor 521 A.D. HOPE (1907–2000) 522 Australia 523 Ascent into Hell 524 The Death of the Bird 526 Crossing the Frontier 527 Inscription for a War 529 The Mayan Books 529 JUDAH WATEN (1911–1985) 529 From Alien Son 530 HAL PORTER (1911–1984) 532 From The Watcher on the Cast-Iron Balcony 532 Australian PEN Anthology PAGES (US Edition).indd xii 7/5/09 11:04:02 AM Contents | xiii KYLIE TENNANT (1912–1988) 541 From Ride on Stranger 541 PATRICK WHITE (1912–1990) 545 From Voss 546 The Prodigal Son 557 Miss Slattery and Her Demon Lover 560 GEORGE JOHNSTON (1912–1970) 574 From My Brother Jack 574 JOE TIMBERY (1912–1978) 577 The Boomerang Racket 577 DOUGLAS STEWART (1913–1985) 579 The Green Centipede 579 The Fierce Country 580 Marree 580 Afghan 581 Place Names 581 Sombrero 582 BILL NEIDJIE (c.