ABSTRACT
Anderson's much-cited thesis, that nations exist as 'imagined communities' well before they are legislatively constituted, is eminently appropriate for the separate analysis of both Australian nationalism and sport in and of Australia. Freeman's comments do in fact support the investigation of the perception of Australian sport and its role in the genesis of the imagining of the nation, which began well before the Federation of the Australian states, the Commonwealth of Australia, came into existence in 1901. Typical of the poetry that was fuelling the growing feeling of nationalism at this time was that of Scottish-born James Bruton Stephens's patriotic poem, 'The Dominion of Australia'. As Australia strode to nationhood mateship was clearly central to the imagining of the community of Australia and unquestionably it was germane to the rise of Australian literary nationalism, which in many ways drove the campaign for Australian Federation.
