Release date is 2024-08-15

Virtues and vices -- Society -- Journalism -- The game of politics -- Pseudo-literary -- Adam Lindsay Gordon -- Theatres and amusements -- The eternal feminine -- Two cities -- The novelist and his selection -- Three writers of verse -- Four prime ministers -- The imperialist -- The little Australian.

Alan, Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

"The Real Australia" by Alfred Buchanan is a critical examination of Australian society and culture, written in the early 20th century. This work combines elements of travel writing and social commentary, aiming to present an authentic depiction of life in Australia during its formative years. Buchanan delves into various aspects of Australian identity, including its virtues and vices, social class structures, political dynamics, and cultural influences. The opening of the book introduces the author's intent to directly reflect the social and individual lives of Australians, opposing the indirect approach typical of contemporary novelists. He contemplates the absence of a defined national character, proposing that, while specific traits may emerge in the community, these should not be overemphasized or stereotyped. Buchanan further critiques the political landscape of Australia, noting the contradictions between the country's open-hearted hospitality and the political exclusion enacted through immigration policies. He begins to outline the complexities of Australian society, including its inherent contradictions and the emerging challenges it faces as it develops its own unique identity. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1907