VOICE OF AUSTRALIANS

Voices from the Past

Australians have always been outspoken. Two famous Australians, Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson, used their writings to reveal the problems in Australia and also its strength and courage.

The Drover's Wife is a must read if you want to know about what life was like for women in the bush. Henry Lawson shows us a day in her life that captures the isolation and shows her courage and determination.

If you like sports, try Dyson's A Friendly Game of Football. If you like horse racing read Banjo's famous A Dream of the Melbourne Cup, or Father Riley's Horse or Gordon's How We Beat the Favourite. For a good yarn about horse racing try Boake's How Babs Malone Cut Down the Field.

John O'Brien is a favourite of ours. He uses humour in stories like Said Hanrahan to show us his Australia. No belly laughs, but we hope it will bring a smile of recognition as he introduces you to the colourful characters of his day.

Although it was written as a children's book, Ethel Pedley's Dot and the Kangaroo e-book is a delight for the child in all of us. It's a fanciful tale of a little girl lost in the bush and the very outspoken animals that help her get home while riding in the pouch of a friendly kangaroo.

In contrast The Red Kangaroo by Ethel Castilla is the story of a kangaroo hunt that goes wrong in more ways than one. It's an affair of the heart that lead to unexpected consequences for several people.

We hope you enjoy our selection of poems and stories about Australia.