Australian poets have a wonderful way with words and their poems bring to life the iconic Aussie characters and unforgettable landscape that are part of our Australian heritage. Many of these - Mulga Bill, Clancy of the Overflow, The Ant Explorer, M'Dougal, The Shearer’s Wife and Mr Smith - are larger than life. And the poets who created them - AB Patterson, CJ Dennis, Thomas E Spencer, Louis Esson and DH Souter - have become heroic figures in our pantheon of stars. The 60 poems in this collection appear in their original, or near original, form and are wide-ranging in their subject matter: animals, the countryside, the struggle of bush life, early transport, sport, growing old, being young and having fun with words! But whether they are humorous, serious or playful, they are simply a joy to read! No matter if we grew up reciting these classic poems at school, quote from them on important occasions or are meeting them for the first time, there is no doubt that these classic poems embody what it is to be Australian.