Often hailed as the epitomization of Australian identity, and synonymous with the conceptualization

of canonical Australian poetry, Banjo Paterson’s poem, ‘The Man from Snowy River’, perpetuates the
notion of the ‘bush myth’, celebrating the values and characteristics associated with the idea. The
‘bush myth’ upon which Paterson constructs his ballad, evokes a hyper-masculine world that values
physicality and resilience, “he was hard and tough and wiry” – the repetition of stressed
monosyllabic words further reinforcing this idea - at the expense of intellect and emotional
sensitivity, propagating a romanticized and idealized perception of Australian identity that no longer
reflects the cultural and societal norms of our modern context. Paterson, through his depiction of
the archetypal ‘bushman’, as the stereotypical ‘underdog’- the nameless, independent, and unsung
hero revered in Australian culture – the ‘man from Snowy River’, initially turned away as a result of
his apparent lack of physical prowess “so slight and weedy, one would doubt his power to stay,”
remains a faceless entity despite his accomplishment - we see the ideals of humility and modesty
glorified and praised, and again this focus on physicality reaffirmed. In restricting the dialogue of the
characters, most notably in the absence of any words uttered by ‘the man from snowy river’,
Paterson again builds on the picture of the ‘bushman’ as being laconic and emotionally inarticulate,
removing the negative connotations from these descriptions and instead recharacterizing these
traits to portray a stoic, reserved and humble hero. Paterson employs the Australian vernacular,
“colt from old Regret”, and “blood was fairly up” to imbue his piece with authenticity, playing again
to this concept of the ‘bushman’ as being anti-intellectual and alluding to the simplicity and rawness
of what it means to be Australian. Above all, Paterson’s poem highlights the affinity to nature,
central to the identity of the ‘bushman’. We see an almost inseparable description of the horses and
their riders creating a parallel between mankind and their surrounding environment, to such an
extent that they often become indistinguishable from one another. The deliberate ambiguity in
Paterson’s description, “he was something like a racehorse undersized” and again in his comparison
with nature, “like a torrent down its bed”, shows how deeply entrenched the landscape is with our
identity. Replicating the sound of horse’s hooves upon the ground, Paterson’s use of anapaestic foot
in establishing a consistent meter, only acts to reaffirm this connection. Evident even in the use of
place as the only means to differentiate characters, “the man from Snowy River”, and “Clancy from
the Overflow”, Winton again refers to the role of nature in defining who we are. Paterson offers us
an idealized narrative of the Australian identity which plays to the attributes and traits that once
brought success to those that embodied them, glorifying a character that can no longer exist in our
modern context.
Tim Winton’s short story ‘Big World’, acts as a counter-narrative to the outdated and increasingly
irrelevant characterization of the Australian identity, challenging the assumptions and archetypes
which constitute and define our national history, and questioning the ability for these traits to
culminate in a story of success. We see the portrayal of Biggie as the modern ‘bushman’ - he is a
“country boy through and through,” “not the brightest but the most loyal person” - reconfiguring
and recontextualizing the ‘bushman myth’ rather than rendering it with reverence as in the ‘Man
from Snowy River’. The social dysfunction and violence that the ‘bushman’ traits, as embodied by
Biggie, elicit, demonstrates the flawed nature of this myth in a modern setting and context. The
short story focuses on the relationship between the narrator and Biggie, or rather the perversion of
‘mateship’ portrayed in their interactions, and in their hindrance of each other’s ability to succeed, “I
ruined his chances. I got us both to the finish line but ensured that neither of us got across it,”
Winton comments on the need for a societal shift in our values and our perception of the Australian
identity if we are to move forward and grow as a nation. The honesty and trust which is the
fundamental tenet of mateship, becomes strained, with the narrator, despite his use of an intimate
and confidential tone when talking to the reader acknowledging his incapacity to fully confide in
Biggie, “I just know I’ll never be able to tell him”, or even reveal his true self, “for once I’m not faking
it,” and the devastating ramifications of this, “I thought about killing myself.” Although the narrator
himself is emotionally articulate, in being unable to voice his concerns to his ‘best mate’, we see how
incompatible the traits of the ‘bushman’ is in ensuring a positive and constructive relationship. In
stark contrast to the reverence of nature as seen in Paterson’s poem, Winton shows the fraying
relationship between man and nature, with the narrator and Biggie’s connection to the land
explored through the macabre and grotesque imagery of the slaughtered animals at the meatworks
“those severed nostrils and lips and ears between your fingers.” Even in Biggie’s future career
prospects, he is involved in industries directly relating to the destruction and exploitation of nature,
with Winton again reinstating the shift in our national identity, from one in which the landscape is
respected and admired, to it becoming a tool to aid our own financial gain. The recurring motif of
fire throughout the story, “the city ablaze”, most notably in the striking image of the kite, “its tail
was on fire…. consumed its own tail and fluttered down into the sea,” becomes an embodiment of
the duality of nature, to both destroy and replenish, which Winton uses to illustrate the
inconsistencies and flaws with the ‘bushman myth’. Just as the kite is tethered to the ground, unable
to truly escape, both Biggie and the narrator, although they have physically left the town, are still
trapped by their past and by each other, just how as a nation we have not attempted to evolve and
move past our previous characterization. In direct parallel, it is only when their van catches fire,
when the last remnants of their past has been truly destroyed, can something new emerge – the
kite, although now unable to fly, is finally free. Winton’s story reconstructs the ‘bushman myth’ to
reflect the shifting values of our society, critiquing those who cannot grasp this change and hinting at
the dangers of remaining in the past.