Language English Media type Print (hardcover) Preceded by Come Walkabout Country Australia | Publication date 1951 Pages 352 Originally published 1951 Page count 352 | |
Publisher Georgian House, Melbourne People also search for A Drum for Ben Boyd, All the Room | ||
The Great South Land : An Epic Poem (1951) is a poem by Australian author Rex Ingamells. It consists of a sequence of twelve books, with an "Overture" and an epilogue, "The Timeless Covenant". It won the ALS Gold Medal, and the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry, both in 1951.
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Outline
The poem is an examination of the history of the Australian continent: from the beginning of the creation of the world, through the arrival of the Aborigines, down to the European exploration and colonisation.
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Reviews
James Devaney, in his review for The Advocate noted: "To say that a poem stirs the mind and heart is to give it high praise. To be able to say that it gives a new and truer significance to a subject means that it has the greatness of creative writing. This is my judgment of The Great South Land, which is Rex Ingamells' major work and a notable achievement in Australian poetry. The greatness of it is first of all in the vision, and its special interest to us is that it is an epic—an epic for Australia."
The Age reviewer found that the book's subject was history, and also that "Mr. Ingamells' picture of Australian history is incomplete, but nobly conceived." They continued: "THE GREAT SOUTH LAND" is, in its way a splendid poem. This is not to say that in any single aspect it is perfect, or that it is splendid poetry. Its splendor is in its pride in Australia, a valid pride for, which Mr. Ingamells adduces strong reasons strongly expressed."