This volume follows the format of recent issues in its thematic clustering of topics and in our continuing concern to cover a broad range of the folklore work now done in Australia, as well as of that fieldwork and scholarship which may be said to be more narrowly focused on Australian themes, experiences and attitudes. In this connection it is interesting that a record number of Australian universities and departments are represented in the valued and supportive contributors to this issue. As usual we endeavour to report on the work of individual scholars, collectors, performers and / or writers in our field, and we have, sadly, to record yet again the passing of several towering figures, two of whom in later 2003 were accorded state funerals by the appropriate state governments.