Australia Imagined: Views from the British Periodical Press.AUSTRALIA IMAGINED Views from the British Periodical Press 1800-1900 Perth, University of Western Australia Western Australia, state (1991 pop. 1,409,965), 975,920 sq mi (2,527,633 sq km), Australia, comprising the entire western part of the continent. It is bounded on the N, W, and S by the Indian Ocean. Perth is the capital. Press, 7005 You could not be more nineteenth century Australia than this book. Periodicals or Magazines were a most important part of British culture during the century. British ideas and culture from 'home' were exported to the various British colonies round the world at regular intervals. Australia was no exception and most of the well to do residents had their subscriptions to periodicals like Household Words Household Words was a weekly magazine edited by Charles Dickens which took its name from the line from Shakespeare "Familiar in his mouth as household words" — Henry V. It was published between 1850 and 1859. , Edinburgh Review Edinburgh Review influential literary and political review, founded in 1802, inaugurating new literary standards. [Br. Lit.: Barnhart, 375] See : Criticism , Fraser's Magazine Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country was a general and literary journal, which initially took a strong Tory line in politics. It was founded by Hugh Fraser and William Maginn in 1830 and loosely directed by Maginn (and later Francis Mahony) under the name Oliver Yorke The Athenaeum ath·e·nae·um also ath·e·ne·um n. 1. An institution, such as a literary club or scientific academy, for the promotion of learning. 2. A place, such as a library, where printed materials are available for reading. and Fortnightly Review Fortnightly Review was one of the most important and influential magazines in nineteenth-century England. It was founded in 1865 by Anthony Trollope, Frederic Harrison, Edward Spencer Beesly, and six others with an investment of ₤9,000; the first edition appeared on 15 to mention a few of the better known periodicals. The editors of this book Judith Johnson and Monica Anderson must have had great fun searching and reading this wide range of articles both serious and amusing on many subjects related to Australia. There are seven or eight articles on each subject ranging from transportation, The Aboriginals, British emigration emigration: see immigration; migration. and letters home to Colonial life, women and men, the Chinese and Federation. In effect the selection of articles presents a picture of Australian society as seen by the British (English) during our Colonial period Colonial Period may generally refer to any period in a country's history when it was subject to administration by a colonial power.
The introduction states that the articles are given full bibliographical details making it relatively easy for any reader to follow up particular articles. There is a listing of further reading and a limited index. The names of many Australian writers appear in the list of further reading which does include John Lang John Lang may refer to several people:
One is an article by Catherine Helen Spence Catherine Helen Spence (31 October 1825 – 3 April 1910) was an Australian author, teacher, journalist, politician and leading suffragette. In 1897 she became Australia's first female political candidate after standing (unsuccessfully) for the Federal Convention held in , for example 'An Australian's impressions of England, 1866.' Interestingly she states that 'Although our [Australian] institutions are different, and our social distinctions less marked, we are still emphatically English and it will take several generations before we can have a distinct national character of our own.' This is in 1866 and a national character was emerging in the Australian born in New South Wales New South Wales, state (1991 pop. 5,164,549), 309,443 sq mi (801,457 sq km), SE Australia. It is bounded on the E by the Pacific Ocean. Sydney is the capital. The other principal urban centers are Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Lismore, Wollongong, and Broken Hill. , but as Catherine Helen Spence said it would take a couple of generation for it to become universal. One of her comments is on the enormous size of the towns and the city of London and the contrast between the elegantly dressed riders in Hyde Park with the ragged beggars on every street corner. She emphasises the differences in scenery the trees and mountains often to the advantage of her Australian home. This is an article all Australians should read because it points to the variety of English life and dispels many of the stereotypes so often depicted. It is impossible for a review to discuss every article. Two articles I must mention. One is an article by Louisa Lawson 'The Australian Bush woman 1889' and the other by Ellen Clacy 'An Australian Home 1863' giving an Australian view of women's role to English readers. Not all the articles are by or about women although there are many, but the men do appear. Some of the extracts from articles are puzzling. One by Charles Kingsley, not his brother Henry, seems pointless because it is an attack on the unatheletic British youth and Australia is mentioned in passing at the end with a comment that the Britisher would cut a sorry figure in Australia or India. There is much to enjoy and amuse the reader in this collection. I hope that it is only the first of a series of anthologies giving Australians a few insights as to how we were viewed by nineteenth century readers of the periodicals in both Britain and in our homeland. The book is attractively produced with a few illustrations one of which adorns the cover which I reproduce below. The University of Western Australia Press has done a good job but it should have had an index of names. Buy it and read it or if you cannot afford it ask your local library to buy a copy. |
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