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IAC article

Imagine their surprise! [1st April 2025]

1 April 2025 · Leave a Comment

A little-known historical fact: When the First Fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour on the 26th of January 1788, to establish a new British colony, they were shocked to find that someone had already built the Sydney Harbour Bridge. A few experts have put this down to the work … [Read more...] about Imagine their surprise! [1st April 2025]

Filed Under: articles Tagged With: 1st April, 500x500, graphics AI art, IAC article, year2025

The melancholic nature of Barcroft Boake

26 March 2025 · Leave a Comment

[Editor: This article, regarding Barcroft Boake, was written for the Institute of Australian Culture.] The melancholic nature of Barcroft Boake The 26th of March is the anniversary of the birth of Barcroft Boake (1866-1892). It is therefore appropriate that we take a new … [Read more...] about The melancholic nature of Barcroft Boake

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: 500x500, Barcroft Henry Boake (1866-1892) (subject), IAC article, year2025

Works of John Shaw Neilson

22 February 2025 · Leave a Comment

John Shaw Neilson

[Editor: This list contains various works by John Shaw Neilson (1865-1933); for biographical information click here.] Books and booklets by John Shaw Neilson: (Books published during his lifetime, arranged by year) [1915]: Old Granny Sullivan, Sydney: The Bookfellow [as … [Read more...] about Works of John Shaw Neilson

Filed Under: IAC lists Tagged With: 500x500, IAC article, IAC list, John Shaw Neilson (1872-1942) (subject)

John Shaw Neilson: A biography

22 February 2025 · Leave a Comment

John Shaw Neilson

John Shaw Neilson (1872-1942) was a major Australian poet. Neilson’s poetry appeared in a range of magazines and newspapers, including The Australasian, The Bookfellow, The Bulletin, The Weekly Times, and The Worker. During his lifetime, five books of his poetry were published. … [Read more...] about John Shaw Neilson: A biography

Filed Under: IAC biographies Tagged With: 500x500, IAC article, IAC biographies, John Shaw Neilson (1872-1942) (subject)

The White Australia Policy: The end of the White Australia Policy

17 February 2025 · Leave a Comment

White Australia

[Editor: This chapter is part of The White Australia Policy: The Rise and Fall of Australia’s Racial Ideology (2025).] The end of the White Australia Policy In 1958, Alick Downer (the Liberal Party’s Minister for Immigration, 1958-1963) introduced into the Australian … [Read more...] about The White Australia Policy: The end of the White Australia Policy

Filed Under: IAC article sections Tagged With: 500x500, Al Grassby (1926-2005) (subject), Alick Downer (1910-1981) (subject), Gough Whitlam (1916-2014) (subject), Harold Holt (1908-1967) (subject), IAC article, Immigration Reform Group (subject), The White Australia Policy (The Rise and Fall), White Australia, White Australia Policy

Types of language

5 June 2024 · Leave a Comment

Elsewhere on this site is a list of Australian terminology, being a collection of slang, idioms, and colloquialisms used in Australia. The defining of colloquial language, slang, idioms, jargon, and dialects can be fraught with difficulty; the separation of words, phrases, and … [Read more...] about Types of language

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: Australian language, IAC article

Drop Bears

1 April 2024 · 1 Comment

Drop Bears are a native Australian mammal, which can be found in bushland areas, especially in those habitats with a dense distribution of trees and a high level of canopy cover. The vernacular name for these animals can be somewhat deceptive, in terms of their taxonomic … [Read more...] about Drop Bears

Filed Under: IAC articles, IAC topics Tagged With: 1st April, 500x500, Drop Bears, dropbears, graphics AI art, IAC article, year2024

Christmas in Australia

25 December 2023 · 3 Comments

Christmas koala

As a day commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas Day (25 December) is very important to those of the Christian faith. However, the day encompasses more than Christianity, with many non-Christians partaking in celebrations on Christmas Day and during the Christmas … [Read more...] about Christmas in Australia

Filed Under: IAC lists, IAC topics Tagged With: 500x500, Christmas, graphics AI art, IAC article, IAC list, significant events and commemorative dates

1905 postal regulations for postcards (divided and undivided backs)

18 December 2023 · Leave a Comment

Postcards, undivided backs, Australia, pre-1905

Prior to 1905, Australian postal regulations stated that the address side of postcards should only contain the address of the addressee, with no message or other writing on that side. This meant that people sending picture postcards had to write on the pictorial side of the card, … [Read more...] about 1905 postal regulations for postcards (divided and undivided backs)

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: 1905 postal regulations (postcards), 500x500, IAC article, postcards (subject), postcards with no divider (postage rules up to 1905), year2023

Grammar: It’s and Its

12 December 2023 · Leave a Comment

Writing with a pen, AI art

Matters of grammar can become an issue on any website which deals with large amounts of text. It seems that this is especially the case when the historical usage of certain terms differ from the modern usage. The spelling of it’s/its, as used in a possessive sense, is one of … [Read more...] about Grammar: It’s and Its

Filed Under: IAC miscellaneous Tagged With: 500x500, grammar, grammar - it's (possessive with an apostrophe), graphics AI art, IAC article, IAC item includes some tongue in cheek humour, IACa17, year2023

NightCafé AI art

26 November 2023 · Leave a Comment

Night Cafe AI Art

NightCafé Studio is an Australian company which provides people with the tools to create lots of AI-generated images. NightCafé is one of the best AI art sites in the world. And it’s free to join and use! Australian content There are many Australians on the NightCafé site, so … [Read more...] about NightCafé AI art

Filed Under: IAC articles, IAC topics Tagged With: 500x500, graphics AI art, IAC article, NightCafe (subject), NightCafe AI art

Gold Licenses (Victoria)

1 September 2023 · Leave a Comment

The widespread public awareness of the discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 led to a series of gold rushes, with many hopeful people dashing to areas where gold was known to be found. Every one of them hoped to “strike it rich” by obtaining enough of the yellow metal on the … [Read more...] about Gold Licenses (Victoria)

Filed Under: IAC articles, IAC topics Tagged With: 500x500, Gold Licenses (Victoria), IAC article

Mother’s Day [including a list of articles]

14 May 2023 · Leave a Comment

Frederick McCubbin, The Pioneer, Mother (detail)

Mother’s Day is celebrated in Australia on the second Sunday in May. It is a special opportunity, and perhaps a reminder, to connect with, to remember, and to honour one’s mother. The occasion has been publicly celebrated in the Land Down Under since 1909 (with it becoming … [Read more...] about Mother’s Day [including a list of articles]

Filed Under: IAC lists, IAC topics Tagged With: 500x500, IAC article, IAC list, Mother's Day

Wages in Australia

12 May 2023 · Leave a Comment

Peace & Plenty, Australian coin

Listed below are various reported weekly wages, earned by Australian workers in the country’s early history, in a variety of occupations. This list was created to give some context to amounts of money which are mentioned in various articles; it includes wages from the 1850s to … [Read more...] about Wages in Australia

Filed Under: IAC articles, IAC topics Tagged With: 500x500, Australian currency, IAC article, money, wages and salaries

Saint Valentine’s Day

14 February 2023 · Leave a Comment

The Australian Women’s Weekly, 13 February 1937

Valentine’s Day is celebrated each year on the 14th of February. The day is also known as Saint Valentine’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine; it was originally a Christian feast day to honor Saint Valentine, who was a 3rd Century Christian priest who was imprisoned, tortured, … [Read more...] about Saint Valentine’s Day

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: 500x500, IAC article, Valentine's Day

The Kangaroo and Map stamps (1913)

2 January 2023 · Leave a Comment

Kangaroo and Map stamp, 1d (one penny), red

The first national postage stamps to be produced by the Commonwealth of Australia were the “Kangaroo and Map” stamps (also known as the “Kangaroo” stamps, “Roo and Map” stamps, or “Roo” stamps). Although it was intended that the Commonwealth should have its own postage stamps, … [Read more...] about The Kangaroo and Map stamps (1913)

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: 500x500, IAC article, Kangaroo and Map stamps, year2023

The dog on the tucker box (Gundagai)

28 November 2022 · Leave a Comment

The dog on the tucker box (Gundagai)

[This IAC article gives some historical information regarding the Dog on the Tucker Box poem and the associated famous statue (five miles from Gundagai). See the IAC list “The dog on the tucker box” for various articles regarding the subject, as well as some postcards with photos … [Read more...] about The dog on the tucker box (Gundagai)

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: 500x500, Gundagai (New South Wales), IAC article, Jack Moses (1861-1945) (subject), The Dog on the Tucker Box (Gundagai)

The Burke and Wills expedition (1860-1861)

20 August 2022 · Leave a Comment

Burke and Wills, a wood engraving

The Burke and Wills expedition was created with the aim of exploring the Australian interior and finding a suitable path for the Australian Overland Telegraph Line (which would connect Australia with the rest of the world, in terms of fast communication, by linking up with the … [Read more...] about The Burke and Wills expedition (1860-1861)

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: 500x500, Australian explorers on land, Burke and Wills (subject), IAC article

The charge of the Australian Light Horse at the Battle of Beersheba

31 October 2021 · Leave a Comment

There has been much debate regarding the famous photograph of the charge of the Australian Light Horse at the Battle of Beersheba (1917). This photograph has been variously described as being one taken of: 1) The Beersheba charge on 31 October 1917 2) Some Light Horsemen … [Read more...] about The charge of the Australian Light Horse at the Battle of Beersheba

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: 500x500, Battle of Beersheba (1917), IAC article, Light Horsemen, World War One (1914-1918)

The Battle of Beersheba (1917)

31 October 2021 · 2 Comments

The Battle of Beersheba was a military action fought between Allied forces against troops of the Ottoman Empire (assisted by German and Austrian officers) in the area in and around the town of Beersheba (now a city), in Palestine. The battle took place on 31 October 1917, during … [Read more...] about The Battle of Beersheba (1917)

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: 500x500, Battle of Beersheba (1917), IAC article, Light Horsemen, World War One (1914-1918)

The Ode of Remembrance

5 March 2015 · 2 Comments

For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon, handwritten

The “Ode of Remembrance”, also known as simply “The Ode”, is commonly recited at remembrance services in Australia, on Anzac Day (25 April) and on Remembrance Day (11 November). Although this work was created by an English poet with no direct relationship to Australia, it has … [Read more...] about The Ode of Remembrance

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: 500x500, Anzac Day (25 April), IAC article, Laurence Binyon (1869-1943) (author), Ode of Remembrance, Remembrance Day, Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) (subject), wider relevance

A comparison of the Backblock Ballads books by C.J. Dennis

14 February 2013 · Leave a Comment

C.J. Dennis published Backblock Ballads and Other Verses in 1913, but it did not sell very well. However, twenty-one of the poems from the 1913 book were included in his later book, Backblock Ballads and Later Verses, along with an additional sixteen poems. His new book, … [Read more...] about A comparison of the Backblock Ballads books by C.J. Dennis

Filed Under: IAC articles Tagged With: Backblock Ballads and Later Verses (C. J. Dennis 1918), Backblock Ballads and Other Verses (C. J. Dennis 1913), C. J. Dennis (1876-1938) (subject), HTML tables formatted div style, IAC article, year2013

Australian Rules Football

1 September 2012 · Leave a Comment

Australian Rules Football is the most popular sport in Australia, with thousands of amateur teams playing in local competitions, along with professional-level teams competing nationally. The game is usually referred to as “Aussie Rules”, “AFL”, “footy”, or “football” (room for … [Read more...] about Australian Rules Football

Filed Under: IAC articles, IAC topics, sport Tagged With: Australian Rules football, IAC article

The Ashes [cricket, Australia vs. England]

26 July 2012 · Leave a Comment

The Ashes is a cricket competition played between Australia and England. It has been an ongoing event since 1882, the year in which a visiting Australian team won a game of cricket in England. The origin of “the Ashes” as a term comes from a humorous “obituary”, regarding the … [Read more...] about The Ashes [cricket, Australia vs. England]

Filed Under: IAC articles, IAC significant events, IAC topics, sport Tagged With: cricket (sport), IAC article, significant events and commemorative dates, The Ashes

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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
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Featured posts

Advance Australia Fair: How the song became the Australian national anthem
Brian Cadd [music videos and biography]
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Some Australian authors

Barcroft Boake
E. J. Brady
John Le Gay Brereton
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Mary Hannay Foott
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Grant Hervey
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Recent Posts

  • Died on Active Service / Heroes of the Empire [Australian military personnel (WW1, WW2), 24 April 1943]
  • Flooded house on Villiers Street, Grafton (NSW) [postcard, circa 1950]
  • Fossicker’s claim, Daylesford [postcard, circa 1905-1912]
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  • The Lass of Yackandandah [poem, 11 June 1857]

Top Posts & Pages

  • Australian slang, words, and phrases
  • The Man from Snowy River [poem by Banjo Paterson]
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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]

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