New Books

Pastoral Symphony, By J. J.

Hardie (published by Angus and Robert son, Ltd., Sydney, at 7/6) is an altogether exceptional book. Two convicts, a man and a woman, ran away from the filth and brutalities of the camp on Sydney Cove 150 years ago; stole some cattle and a few supplies; and succeeded in hiding themselves away in the unknown interior, and establishing fine herds and a healthy family. Mr. Hardie does two things—he presents without fear or favour, the startlihg and often sickening story of how the now proud State of New South Wales had its birth; and he gives an equally dramatic account of the establishment of the pastoral industry in Australia. Both are stories which call for bold and skilful treatment, and right worthily has Mr. Hardie carried out his task. He has employed outstanding con structional ability, a high literary stand ard and considerable cleverness in weav ing dramatic events of history into the structure of his tale, and the result is a book wholly readable, a valuable contri bution to history, and likely to appeal to all readers —except, maybe, those socially ambitious New South Wales

families which conspicuously fail to dis play portraits of their great-grandfathers.

Duok Williams And His Cobbers,

by Fred Davison (published by Angus and Robertson, Ltd., Sydney, at 6/-) is a series of sketches of Australian boy life, done with an artist’s regard for truth ful presentation, and with fine humour.

This kind of material is the most diffi cult of all to handle—the author must see with the understanding mind of the boy, and describe with the gifted hand of the word-painter. Mr. Davison’s book is a delightful thing to read —one chuckles continuously over the pranks of the little devils of boys, and appreciates a clever portrayal of real Australian life.

In AUSTRALIAN SCENE (Angus and Robertson Ltd., Sydney, 6/-), Hector Dinning sets out to describe Australians and Australia: but he wanders into many varied fields, and discourses pleas antly on scattered subjects. He was a soldier in 1914-18, and he made good use of his undoubted faculty of keen obser vation. The book’s best sections are those in which the author describes the main differences between Englishmen and Australians, and then proceeds to explain the distinctions and differences.