Nineteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Australians, particularly those outside urban areas are awakened, pre-dawn, by carolling birds, but is this reflected in fiction by the country’s writers? About one fifth of stories have auditory references such as bells, clamorous trumpeting, squawking, screeching, hot pealing and “boobook nights, mopoking winter nights,” as well as the powerful sounds of myriads of beating wings. But birds also appear in a number of other ways: as generators of empathy, and environmental and geographic connectors, creating intellectual images and philosophical links. Aboriginal writers wove subtle references to Aboriginal culture and lore into their stories that extended into the astronomic realm, as well as imaginary travel, while other Australian writers made use of idiomatic turns of phrase, such as “Stone the crows,” and created memorable characterisations. Almost one hundred bird species were identifiable. Amongst them were the stately Black Swan, dancing Brolga, characterful Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, carolling Australian Magpie, and always ravenous Silver Gull, to the humble chicken. So while Australian literature does ring with birdsong, folk, Aboriginal and other Australian writers make birds do much more, creating a richly colourful and intricately feathered collage.