The Bush Debate

Henry Lawson (1867 - 1922), Andrew Barton Paterson (1864 - 1941) et al.

In 1892, two of Australia's best poets came up with a scheme to make some money. They arranged to have an argument in the Weekly Bulletin, and since they were being paid by the word, this let them fire back and forth, being sent beer money with each salvo. A couple of other poets also joined in, and their work is seminal to the development of the Bush ethos in Australia.

The first eight files are the original form of the poems, and the second eight are later republications by the authors, in their own collections. (Summary by Timothy Ferguson)

Genre(s): Poetry

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 Borderland by Henry Lawson Timothy Ferguson
00:04:46
Play 02 In Defence of the Bush by Banjo Paterson Algy Pug
00:03:48
Play 03 The Fact of the Matter by Edward Dyson Jason Mills
00:03:23
Play 04 In Answer to "Banjo" and Otherwise by Henry Lawson Timothy Ferguson
00:09:09
Play 05 The Overflow of Clancy by H.H.C.C. (probably Henry Lawson) Timothy Ferguson
00:03:21
Play 06 Banjo of the Overflow by Francis Kenna Derrick Coetzee
00:02:52
Play 07 In Answer to Various Bards by Banjo Paterson Algy Pug
00:05:43
Play 08 The Poets of the Tomb by Henry Lawson Timothy Ferguson
00:02:48
Play 09 Up the Country by Henry Lawson Algy Pug
00:05:06
Play 10 In Defence of the Bush by Banjo Paterson Timothy Ferguson
00:03:34
Play 11 The Fact of the Matter by Edward Dyson Derrick Coetzee
00:03:25
Play 12 The City Bushman by Henry Lawson Algy Pug
00:09:32
Play 13 The Overflow of Clancy by H.H.C.C. (probably Henry Lawson) Algy Pug
00:03:33
Play 14 Banjo of the Overflow by Francis Kenna Jason Mills
00:02:42
Play 15 An Answer to Various Bards by Banjo Paterson Timothy Ferguson
00:05:05
Play 16 The Poets of the Tomb by Henry Lawson Algy Pug
00:02:47