Almost all the scholarly authorities agree: the radical and reformist writings of British Romanticism had a decisive impact upon the post-1788 British settler colony that was to become Australia. Yet, when imported in this way, many fundamental aspects of Romantic writing self-evidently underwent a strange, often malignant sea-change. This double panel discussion will bring together established and emerging researchers in the field of Australian colonial writing to discuss the details and consequences of this fateful importation. Organised by Justin Clemens and Thomas H. Ford, who will also speak, the two panels will consist of Claire Knowles (senior lecturer, LaTrobe), Brendan Casey (PhD student, Unimelb), Kyle Kohinga (PhD student, Deakin), and Hannah Murray (fixed-term lecturer, Unimelb).