In this fascinating collection, John Hirst has assembled the key assessments of the national character of Australia and Australians. There are insiders and outsiders. There is celebration and criticism. There is the difference between what Australian think of themselves and what they are really like.

Hirst provides a set of dazzling introductory essays to accompany his selections. Contributors include Winston Churchill, Tim Flannery, Carmen Lawrence, Charles Dickens, Captain James Cook, Barry Humphries, H.G. Wells, Peter Cosgrove, and many, many more.