60 Classic Australian Poems

Australian poets have a wonderful way with words and their poems bring to life the iconic Aussie characters and unforgettable landscape that are part of our Australian heritage. Many of these - Mulga Bill, Clancy of the Overflow, The Ant Explorer, M'Dougal, The Shearer's Wife and Mr Smith - are larger than life. And the poets who created them - AB Patterson, CJ Dennis, Thomas E Spencer, Louis Esson and DH Souter - have become heroic figures in our pantheon of stars.
 
The 60 poems in this collection appear in their original, or near original, form and are wide-ranging in their subject matter: animals, the countryside, the struggle of bush life, early transport, sport, growing old, being young and having fun with words!
 
But whether they are humorous, serious or playful, they are simply a joy to read!No matter if we grew up reciting these classic poems at school, quote from them on important occasions or are meeting them for the first time, there is no doubt that these classic poems embody what it is to be Australian.

Poem index

1. Andy's Gone with Cattle — Henry Lawson (p. 8)
2. The Ant Explorer — CJ Dennis (p. 10)
3. The Australian Slanguage — WTGoodge (p. 12)
4. A Ballad of Shearing (Shearing at Castlereagh) — Banjo Paterson (p. 14)
5. Bell-birds — Henry Kendall (p. 16)
6. Brumby's Run — Banjo Paterson (p. 18)
7. A Bush Christening — Banjo Paterson (p. 20)
8. A Bush Christmas — CJ Dermis (p. 22)
9. The Circus — CJ Dennis (p. 25)
10. Clancy of the Overflow — Banjo Paterson (p. 26)
11. The Days of Cobb & Co. — GM Smith (Steele Grey) (p. 28)
12. The Digger's Song — Barcroft Henry Boake (p. 30)
13. An Exile's Farewell — Adam Lindsay Gordon (p. 32)
14. Freedom on the Wallaby — Henry Lawson (p. 34)
15. Fur and Feathers — Banjo Paterson (p. 36)
16. The Geebung Polo Club — Banjo Paterson (p. 38)
17. Going to School — CJ Dennis (p. 41)
18. Hist! — CJ Dennis (p. 42)
19. How M'Dougal Topped the Score — Thomas E Spencer (p. 44)
20. The Last of His Tribe — Henry Kendall (p. 48)
21. The Lights of Cobb and Co. — Henry Lawson (p. 50)
22. The Man from Ironbark — Banjo Paterson (p. 54)
23. The Man from Snowy River — Banjo Paterson (p. 56)
24. Mr Smith — DH Souter (p. 62)
25. Mulga Bill's Bicycle — Banjo Paterson (p. 64)
26. My Typewriter — Edward Dyson (p. 66)
27. Native Companions Dancing — John Shaw Neilson (p. 67)
28. Old Granny Sullivan — John Shaw Neilson (p. 68)
29. Old Man Platypus — Banjo Paterson (p. 72)
30. On the Night Train — Henry Lawson (p. 73)
31. 'Ough!’’ — WT Goodge (p. 74)
32. The Pieman — CJ Dennis (p. 75)
33. Pioneers — Frank Hudson (p. 76)
34. Pioneers — Banjo Paterson (p. 77)
35. Pitchin' at the Church — PJ Hartigan (John O'Brien) (p. 78)
36. Poets — CJ Dennis (p. 80)
37. Post-Hole Mick — GM Smith (Steele Grey) (p. 82)
38. The Roaring Days — Henry Lawson (p. 84)
39. A Ruined Reversolet — CJ Dennis (p. 88)
40. Said Hanrahan — PJ Hartigan (John O'Brien) (p. 90)
41. Santa Claus in the Bush — Banjo Paterson (p. 94)
42. The Shearer's Wife — Louis Esson (p. 98)
43. A Snake Yarn — WT Goodge (p. 100)
44. Song of the Artesian Waters — Banjo Paterson (p. 101)
45. The Swagman — CJ Dennis (p. 104)
46. Tangmalangaloo — PJ Hartigan (John O'Brien) (p. 106)
47. The Teacher — CJ Dennis (p. 108)
48. The Teams — Henry Lawson (p. 110)
49. The Tram Man — CJ Dennis (p. 112)
50. The Traveller — CJ Dennis (p. 114)
51. The Travelling Post-Office — Banjo Paterson (p. 116)
52. The Triantiwontigongolope — CJ Dennis (p. 118)
53. Waiting for the Rain (A Shearing Song) — John Neilson (p. 120)
54. Waltzing Matilda — Banjo Paterson (p. 122)
55. Waratah and Wattle — Henry Lawson (p. 124)
56. The Warrigal — Henry Kendall (p. 126)
57. Where the Dead Men Lie — Barcroft Henry Boake (p. 128)
58. Where the Pelican Builds Mary — Hannay Foott (p. 132)
59. The Women of the West — George Essex Evans (p. 134)
60. Woolloomooloo — CJ Dennis (p. 136)