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〃Songs Unsung〃
Maui Victor
Periodical （Dunedin； N。Z。）
Dora Wilcox。
In London
〃Verses from Maoriland〃
Ernest Currie。
Laudabunt Alii
Periodical （Timaru； N。Z。）
George Charles Whitney。
Sunset
Manuscript
James Lister Cuthbertson。 ＇reprise＇
Ode to Apollo
Periodical （Melbourne）
Notes on the Poems
Biographical Notes
An Anthology of Australian Verse
Introduction
As the literature of a country is； in certain respects；
a reflex of its character； it may be advisable to introduce this Anthology
with some account of the main circumstances which have affected
the production of Australian poetry。
Australia was first settled by the British a little more than a century ago；
so that we are still a young community。 The present population；
including that of New Zealand； is a little under five millions；
or about the same as that of London； it is chiefly scattered
along the coast and the few permanent waterways； and a vast central region
is but sparsely inhabited as yet。 All climates； from tropical to frigid；
are included within the continent； but the want of satisfactory watersheds
renders it peculiarly liable to long droughts and sudden floods。
The absence of those broad； outward signs of the changing seasons
which mark the pageant of the year in the old world is probably
a greater disadvantage than we are apt to suspect。 Here； too；
have existed hardly any of the conditions which obtained in older communities
where great literature arose。 There is no glamour of old Romance
about our early history； no shading off from the actual
into a dim region of myth and fable； our beginnings are clearly defined
and of an eminently prosaic character。 The early settlers were engaged
in a hand…to…hand struggle with nature； and in the establishment
of the primitive industries。 Their strenuous pioneering days
were followed by the feverish excitement of the gold period and a consequent
rapid expansion of all industries。 Business and politics have afforded
ready roads to success； and have absorbed the energies of the best intellects。
There has been no leisured class of cultured people to provide the atmosphere
in which literature is best developed as an art； and； until recently；
we have been content to look to the mother country for our artistic standards
and supplies。 The principal literary productions of our first century
came from writers who had been born elsewhere； and naturally brought with them
the traditions and sentiments of their home country。
We have not yet had time to settle down and form any decided
racial characteristics； nor has any great crisis occurred
to fuse our common sympathies and create a national sentiment。
Australia has produced no great poet； nor has any remarkable innovation
in verse forms been successfully attempted。 But the old forms
have been so coloured by the strange conditions of a new country；
and so charged with the thoughts and feelings of a vigorous；
restless democracy now just out of its adolescence； that they have
an interest and a value beyond that of perhaps technically better minor poetry
produced under English skies。
The first verses actually written and published in Australia seem to have been
the Royal Birthday Odes of Michael Robinson； which were printed as broadsides
from 1810 to 1821。 Their publication in book form was announced
in ‘The Hobart Town Gazette' of 23rd March； 1822； but no copy of such a volume
is at present known to exist。 The famous 〃Prologue〃； said to have been
recited at the first dramatic performance in Australia； on January 16th； 1796
（when Dr。 Young's tragedy 〃The Revenge〃 and 〃The Hotel〃 were played
in a temporary theatre at Sydney）； was for a long time attributed
to the notorious George Barrington； and ranked as the first verse
produced in Australia。 There is； however； no evidence to support this claim。
The lines first appeared in a volume called 〃Original Poems and Translations〃
chiefly by Susannah Watts； published in London in 1802；
a few months before the appearance of the 〃History of New South Wales〃 （1803）
known as George Barrington's which also； in all probability；
was not written by Barrington。 In Susannah Watts' book
the Prologue is stated to be written by 〃A Gentleman〃；
but there is no clue to the name of the author。 Mr。 Barron Field；
Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales； printed in Sydney in 1819
his 〃First Fruits of Australian Poetry〃； for private circulation。
Field was a friend of Charles Lamb； who addressed to him the letter
printed in 〃The Essays of Elia〃 under the title of 〃Distant Correspondents〃。
Lamb reviewed the 〃First Fruits〃 in ‘The Examiner'； and one wishes
for his sake that the verses were more worthy。
The first poem of any importance by an Australian is
William Charles Wentworth's 〃Australasia〃； written in 1823
at Cambridge University in competition for the Chancellor's medal。
There were twenty…seven competitors； and the prize was awarded
to W。 Mackworth Praed； Wentworth being second on the list。 Wentworth's poem
was printed in London in the same year； and shortly afterwards
in ‘The Sydney Gazette'； the first Australian newspaper。
In 1826 there was printed at the Albion Press； Sydney；
〃Wild Notes from the Lyre of a Native Minstrel〃 by Charles Tompson； Junior；
the first verse of an Australian…born writer published in this country。
There was also published in Sydney in 1826 a book of verses
by Dr。 John Dunmore Lang； called 〃Aurora Australis〃。
Both Lang and Wentworth afterwards conducted newspapers
and wrote histories of New South Wales； but their names are more famous
in the political than in the literary annals of the country。
At Hobart Town in 1827 appeared 〃The Van Diemen's Land Warriors；
or the Heroes of Cornwall〃 by 〃Pindar Juvenal〃； the first book of verse
published in Tasmania。 During the next ten years various poetical effusions
were printed in the colonies； which are of bibliographical interest
but of hardly any intrinsic value。 Newspapers had been established
at an early date； but until the end of this period they were little better
than news…sheets or official gazettes； giving no opportunities
for literature。 The proportion of well…educated persons was small；
the majority of the free settlers being members of the working classes；
as very few representatives of British culture came willingly to this country
until after the discovery of gold。
It was not until 1845 that the first genuine； though crude；
Australian poetry appeared； in the form of a small volume of sonnets
by Charles Harpur； who was born at Windsor； N。S。W。； in 1817。
He passed his best years in the lonely bush； and wrote largely
under the influence of Wordsworth and Shelley。 He had some
imagination and poetic faculty of the contemplative order；
but the disadvantages of his life were many。 Harpur's best work
is in his longer poems； from which extracts cannot conveniently be given here。
The year 1842 had seen the publication of Henry Parkes' 〃Stolen Moments〃；
the first of a number of volumes of verse which that statesman bravely issued；
the last being published just before his eightieth year。 The career of Parkes
is coincident with a long and important period of our history；
in which he is the most striking figure。 Not the least interesting
aspect of his character； which contained much of rugged greatness；
was his love of poetry and his unfailing kindness to the struggling writers
of the colony。 Others who deserve remembrance for their services at this time
are Nicol D。 Stenhouse and Dr。 Woolley。 Among the writers of the period
D。 H。 Deniehy； Henry Halloran； J。 Sheridan Moore and Richard Rowe
contributed fairly good verse to the newspapers； the principal of which were
‘The Atlas' （1845…9）； ‘The Empire' （1850…8）； and two papers still in existence
‘The Freeman's Journal' （1850） and ‘The Sydney Morning Herald'；
which began as ‘The Sydney Herald' in 1831。 None of their writings； however；
reflected to any appreciable extent the scenery or life of the new country。
With the discovery of gold a new era began for Australia。
That event induced the flow of a large stream of immigration；
and gave an enormous impetus to the development of the colonies。
Among the ardent spirits attracted here were J。 Lionel Michael； Robert Sealy；
R。 H。 Horne； the Howitts； Henry Kingsley and Adam Lindsay Gordon。 Michael was
a friend of Millais； and an early champion of the Pre…Raphaelite Brotherhood。
Soon after his arrival in Sydney he abandoned the idea of digging for gold；
and began to practise again as a solicitor。 Later on he removed to Grafton
on the Clarence River； there in 1857 Henry Kendall； a boy of 16；
found work in his office； and Michael； discerning his promise；
encouraged him to write。 Most of the boy's earliest