Contains an overview of the Australian literary and cultural journal Overland. Overland was founded in 1954, under the auspices of the Realist Writers Group with Stephen Murray-Smith being the first editor. The paper reviews the history of other literary and political journals and magazines, such as Quadrant, The Bulletin, Meanjin and Nation. Some of them ceased to exist, however Overland has persisted to provide one of the few places where literary and political debate continues in the single task of reinterpreting the Australian tradition in order to produce the circumstances for a free and independent Australia.