‘Colonial Literature for Colonial Readers!’

Any research worker who requests the back files of one of the nineteenth century magazines or journals, other than perhaps the Bulletin, will soon discover from the dust on his hands that readers have been few and far between in the last fifty years. Yet, in these dusty volumes, one can find ample material for research, for, not only do they reveal fascinating details about the social conditions and attitudes of their period, but they contain much hitherto unexamined work by lesser known Australian writers and artists which is of considerable interest. Indeed, there is even a good deal of otherwise unpublished material by the more important literary figures, which, if collected, could help us gain a deeper insight into their total achievement.