On the Wool Track

work by Bean

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July 1, 2026

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"On the Wool Track" is a 1910 work by C.E.W. Bean that captures the rhythms of life on the Australian plains. Bean, who also served as Australia's official war historian, identified a connection between the bushman's character and the courage of the Australian soldier, the "digger". This work, along with "The Dreadnought of the Darling" (1911), explores the experiences of men and the Australian landscape. These writings are part of a broader tradition in Australian literature that focuses on bush realism and national identity, often celebrating the virtues of the Australian worker.12

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Australian literature
Nationalism and expansion
…the great Western plains (On the Wool Track [1910]) and down the Darling River (The Dreadnought of the Darling [1911]). Like Banfield and Murdoch, he identified a genial world and men whose essential character he admired, and, when he entered the world of torrid events as Australia’s official war…
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…the great Western plains (On the Wool Track [1910]) and down the Darling River (The Dreadnought of the Darling [1911]). Like Banfield and Murdoch, he identified a genial world and men whose essential character he admired, and, when he entered the world of torrid events as Australia’s official war…
Read More