The blending of Australian cultural traditions in the works of Thomas Keneally

This thesis analyzes the conflict over control of Australia's land, psychological issues, and transformation of cultural identity culminating in the blending of the European and Aboriginal cultures. Keneally and fellow Australian author, Mudrooroo Nyoongah, provide examples in their novels---The Playmaker, A River Town, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, and Doctor Wooreddy's Prescription for Enduring the Ending of the World---about this struggle for land and establishment of true Australian identity. Keneally and Mudrooroo incorporate fictionalized accounts of the harsh environment, starvation, greed, and separation issues experienced by both sides to reveal the process through which the modern Australian cultural identity is established.