A note from the author: The Wild Colonial Boy is generally believed to be either a wholly fictional character or very loosely based on Bold Jack Donohoe, a convict bushranger of the 1820s. There was, however, a juvenile bushranger named Jack Doolan born, as the song says, in Castlemaine (Victoria). He was briefly active around Bendigo in 1872. His story is faintly referred to in the song but its central incidents are most likely borrowed from the bushranging careers of Donohoe and Harry Power, Ned Kelly's mentor. Doolan's own story is told in detail in my book The Life & Legend of Jack Doolan, the Wild Colonial Boy (Mulini Press, Canberra, Australia, 2004),but I have also re-written the song to give the very real Jack Doolan his own ballad.

Find out more about Allen's books.

The Serious Sydney Socialiser is a
resource for those who wish to socialise
within a thought provoking cultural environment
with like minded people.

If you love the arts, literature, photography, nature and travel and want to include these cultural activities in your socialising, browse the links provided on our Serious Sydney Socialiser Page. Be inspired!

This month's Selection from our BOOK LIST

Thomas Moore

The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life

by Thomas Moore

"When all is said and done, what makes life worth living?
Not electronics, entertainments, or rapid information retrieval, but a spiritual and soulful vision that arises from enchanted nature, a fantasy-filled childhood, intimate neighbourhood and homes, and a public life dedicated to the needs of the heart."

Flash Fiction and Creative Prose

This blog is a recording of Diane Challenor's journey as she gets to know a botanist explorer, Allan Cunningham, who dedicated his life to science in the early 1800s.

The purpose of the Allan Cunningham Project
is to collect accurate information
related to Allan Cunningham.

We believe that his botanical work is very relevant today.

His research tells us what plants were here in Australia before British colonisation, along with their location. His geographical exploration in the past has had a major impact on today's story and makes fascinating reading.

Keeping a record of what Allan Cunningham witnessed, discovered and documented will ensure that our generation and future generations will have access, via the internet,
to information related to the Australian landscape, its flora and his story.

This month we are
placing a spotlight on:



A Literary Journal which provides a
contemporary digital stage
for emerging talent

42opus produces an evolving quarterly magazine where it accumulates new poetry and fiction weekly, and then archives it at the end of the quarter.