Australian Folklore: A Dictionary Of Lore Legends & Popular Allusions

Author: Fearn-Wannan, W. (Bill Wannan)
Binding: Hardback
Published: Landsdowne, Australia, 1976

Condition:
Book: Good
Jacket: Wear and tear
Pages: Tanning and foxing
Markings: No markings

This definitive reference work in Australian cultural history catalogues the idioms, characters, and traditions that shaped the national imagination. Bill Wannan presents over 10,000 entries ranging from bush legends like Crooked Mick of the Speewah to colloquial expressions such as Beyond the Black Stump and To give someone the drum. The dictionary illustrates how folklore, vernacular language, and oral storytelling forged a uniquely Australian identity across generations. It argues for the literary and historical value of popular sayings, ballads, and yarns, treating them as vital records of social life and collective memory.