• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Institute of Australian Culture

Heritage, history, and heroes; literature, legends, and larrikins

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Biographies
  • Books
  • Ephemera
  • Poetry & songs
    • Recommended poetry
    • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
    • Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
    • Rock music and pop music [videos]
    • Early music [videos]
  • Slang
  • Timeline
    • Timeline of Australian history and culture
    • Calendar of Australian history and culture
    • Significant events and commemorative dates
  • Topics

Recommended poetry

9 January 2012 · Leave a Comment

This list includes some of the best poetry produced by Australian writers. Whilst choosing the best of Australian poetry is a subjective matter, it is believed that these poems represent some of the best, or most enjoyable, poetic works that our nation has to offer. This is not a definitive compilation; it is intended that more will be added to the list.

(Arranged by surname of writer.)

C. J. Dennis
The Austra——laise
The Joy Ride
The Little Homes
The Play [from The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke]
Son of a Fool

Mary Hannay Foott
The Future of Australia
Where the Pelican Builds

Mary Gilmore
Nationality
No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest

Grant Hervey
The Joy of Life
Kisses and Sin
“The Man You Might Have Been”
When a Fellow Does His Damnedest

Lucy Everett Homfray
Anzac Crosses
Some of Life’s Joys

Henry Kendall
Bell-Birds
The Maid of Gerringong
Mountains
On a Cattle Track

Henry Lawson
The Fire at Ross’s Farm
Freedom on the Wallaby
The Grog-an’-Grumble Steeplechase
Mary Called Him ‘Mister’
Years After the War in Australia

Dorothea Mackellar
Australia’s Men
Core of My Heart [later renamed as “My Country”]

John Shaw Neilson
All the World’s a Lolly-Shop
Dolly’s Offering
The Eyes of Little Charlotte
Love’s Coming
Old Granny Sullivan
The Quarrel with the Neighbour

John O’Brien
Come, Sing Australian Songs to Me!
Could I Hear the Kookaburras Once Again
Honeymooning from the Country
The Kookaburras
Ownerless
Said Hanrahan

Menie Parkes
Our Darling’s Lover

A. B. (Banjo) Paterson
A Bush Christening
Clancy of The Overflow
The Geebung Polo Club
Lost
The Man from Ironbark
The Man from Snowy River

Marie E. J. Pitt
The Keening
Reveille

Thomas E. Spencer
How M’Dougal Topped the Score

Charles Thatcher [songs]
Buying Land
Chinese Immigration
The Green New Chum
John Chinaman’s Marriage
The Leary Boy

Poems by some lesser-known writers
(Arranged by title.)
Australia For Ever [by F. S. Lewin]
The Last Barrage [by “Pip”]
Where the Light and the Shadows Lie [by “Broad Arrow”]

Updated 14 February 2022

Filed Under: featured main page, IAC lists Tagged With: @ recommendations, 500x500, IAC list

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Australian flag, Kangaroo, Wattle, 100hThe Institute of Australian Culture
Heritage, history, and heroes. Literature, legends, and larrikins. Stories, songs, and sages.

Search this site

Featured books

The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, by Banjo Paterson A Book for Kids, by C. J. Dennis  The Bulletin Reciter: A Collection of Verses for Recitation from The Bulletin The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, by C. J. Dennis The Complete Inner History of the Kelly Gang and Their Pursuers, by J. J. Kenneally The Foundations of Culture in Australia, by P. R. Stephensen The Australian Crisis, by C. H. Kirmess Such Is Life, by Joseph Furphy
More books (full text)

Featured lists

Timeline of Australian history and culture
A list of significant Australiana
Significant events and commemorative dates
Australian slang
Books (full text)
Australian literature
Rock music and pop music (videos)
Folk music and bush music (videos)
Early music (videos)
Recommended poetry
Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
Australian explorers
Topics
Links

Featured posts

Advance Australia Fair: How the song became the Australian national anthem
Brian Cadd [music videos and biography]
Ned Kelly: Australian bushranger
Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]

Some Australian authors

E. J. Brady
John Le Gay Brereton
C. J. Dennis
Mary Hannay Foott
Joseph Furphy
Mary Gilmore
Charles Harpur
Grant Hervey
Lucy Everett Homfray
Rex Ingamells
Henry Kendall
“Kookaburra”
Henry Lawson
Jack Moses
“Dryblower” Murphy
John Shaw Neilson
John O’Brien (Patrick Joseph Hartigan)
“Banjo” Paterson
Marie E. J. Pitt
A. G. Stephens
P. R. Stephensen
Agnes L. Storrie (Agnes L. Kettlewell)

Recent Posts

  • [The new stamps] [re the new Tasmanian postage stamps, 2 January 1900]
  • The Leading Lady [poem by “Stargazer”, 31 January 1917]
  • The Naval Contingent: With the Australians in China [17 October 1900]
  • Australia Day [26 January 1953]
  • Australia Day [24 January 1953]

Top Posts & Pages

  • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
  • Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]
  • Australian slang
  • The Man from Snowy River [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]

Archives

Categories

Posts of note

The Bastard from the Bush [poem, circa 1900]
A Book for Kids [by C. J. Dennis, 1921]
Click Go the Shears [traditional Australian song, 1890s]
Core of My Heart [“My Country”, poem by Dorothea Mackellar, 24 October 1908]
Freedom on the Wallaby [poem by Henry Lawson, 16 May 1891]
The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]
Nationality [poem by Mary Gilmore, 12 May 1942]
The Newcastle song [music video, sung by Bob Hudson]
No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
Our pipes [short story by Henry Lawson]
Rommel’s comments on Australian soldiers [1941-1942]
Shooting the moon [short story by Henry Lawson]

Recent Comments

  • Robert Buntine on No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
  • Laurie on The Geebung Polo Club [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • rob buntine on No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
  • Carol on Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
  • Annie Crestani on Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]

For Australia

Copyright © 2023 · Log in