"This is a study of autobiographical writing of women in Australia, whic can be read for both pleasure and instruction. The emphasis is on childhood and adolescence ... It is organised thematically, and the the writing discussed varies from complex and literary works of [(Stella Maria Sarah) Miles] Franklin, [Henry Handel (Ethel Florence Lindesay)] Richardson and [Christina] Stead to texts by unknown or disregarded authors. ..."--Back cover.

Contents: Introduction -- 1. Invisible lives? Childhoods to 1920 -- 2. Early conventions and traditions -- 3. Four significant figures [Jane Isabella Watts, Eliza Davies, Mary Gilmore, Maie Casey] -- 4. Relational selves -- 5. Some distinctive figures of self -- 6. Father figures -- 7. Mother figures -- 8. The Man Who Loved Children: Mermaid and minotaur -- 9. Seasons of learning -- 10. Love stories -- 11. National and personal myths -- Black [Aboriginal] narratives -- 13. A sense of place -- Conclusion -- Bibliography of autobiographies.

Includes index. Bibliography: p. [376]-417.