Australian literature began with accounts from early European explorers describing their first contacts with Aboriginal people. Some early works portrayed Aboriginal people in sympathetic or romantic terms. Key themes in Australian literature include Aboriginality, mateship, egalitarianism, democracy, national identity, migration, and the beauty and terror of the Australian bush. Notable early literary works included poems published in the 18th century and the first book published by an Australian in 1819. Aboriginal Australians also contributed to early Australian literature through accounts of their mythology and traditions. Modern Australian authors have explored Aboriginal experiences and national identity in their works.