Using information gathered from a specifically created database, ALIAS, this paper sets out to examine the variations and changes to the works that appeared on the English reading lists of the different Australian states in their literature course(s) between 1945 and 2005. All those states which offered a set of public examinations at the end of Year 12 have been considered in this study. Examining the process by which texts were selected and reading lists constructed is not the purpose of this work. Rather, by reviewing the changing titles, forms of work and writers appearing on these syllabi over time, an interesting comparison emerges as to what texts educational authorities identified as worthy of students' study.