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Coolabah, No.9, 2012, ISSN 1988-5946, Observatori: Centre d’Estudis Australians, 

Australian Studies Centre, Universitat de Barcelona 

 

 

1 

 

Introduction 

 

Sue Ballyn 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been a sad pleasure to put together this volume in memory of a dear friend and 

colleague to many across the world; Bruce Bennett, who died on 14 April 2012 after 

several years of fighting cancer. It seemed only fitting that a volume dedicated to him 

should appear in a European journal given his constant support for Australian Studies in 

Europe. Bruce, however, with his encyclopaedic knowledge was open  to all areas of 

study and thus helped and took great interest in scholars working in other fields of 

Postcolonial Studies, such was his nature. 

 

As guest editor of this edition of Coolabah, run from the Australian Studies Centre at 

Barcelona University, I have decided to divide the contributions into three sections; 

memoirs with Bruce as protagonist or mentioned, articles written specifically for Bruce 

and creative writing in his honour. 

 

I am most grateful to all the contributors for making my task  as editor easy given their 

close adherence to guidelines and deadlines. To all of you I  want to  express my  thanks 

for your work and for helping to make this volume a memorable one which, I think, 

Bruce would have enjoyed. It is a sign of our joint appreciation of Bruce Bennett: loyal 

friend, generous colleague and great scholar.   

Barcelona, November 2012 

 

 

Copyright ©  Sue Ballyn 2012 This text may be archived 

and redistributed both in electronic form and in hard copy, 

provided that the author and journal are properly cited 

and no fee is charged