The Story of Australian Poetry
This is a research project which I undertook and presented in serial format during 2018 in my monthly electronic newsletter eLines (published 2013-2023).
Beginnings - 1788-1830
From the arrival of the first fleet in January 1788 until 1823, the Colony of New South Wales was classified as a penal colony, although free settlers began to arrive from 1793 onwards. There were no formal schools in Australia in the early years, and only those educated in England could read or write. Storytelling was oral, and in an effort to aid memorisation, rhyme and metre were introduced. influenced by European poetic ballads and sea shanties. This was the beginning, not only of traditional bush poetry, but also the larger-than-life yarn which has become so much a part of our tradition.
The stories of early bush poetry reflected the life and times of the colonies – both urban and rural. Anything that could hold the attention of an audience was included – from tragic events to humorous tales, or simply items of current interest. Bush poetry is truly Australia's first home-grown popular culture. In 1802 George Howe founded Australia's first newspaper, the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, published weekly. It included Australian poetry – the first to be written down and published, even though it was heavily censored by the British Administration.
Australian poets of this era included Barron Field, Charles Tompson, and politicians John Dunmore Lang and William Charles Wentworth (also noted for the first crossing of the Blue Mountains with Blaxland and Lawson in 1813). Wentworth's epic poem Australasia became famous after receiving a major poetry prize in 1822.The first novel written in Australia was published in 1830, Quintus Servinton, A Tale Founded upon Incidents of Real Occurrence, by Henry Savery, was a fictionalised account of his experiences as a convict in Tasmania.
Developing an Identity - 1830-1880
Beginning in the 1830s, a concerted effort was made to provide accessible education facilities to children in the colonies. Public and private schools were established, but it was not until 1875 that schooling became compulsory for children from 7 to 13 years of age. As schools became more accessible, literacy improved, and along with it, a unique Australian voice began to emerge in all forms of the arts, including poetry.
The goldrush years provided an added opportunity for travelling entertainers, many of whom adapted and parodied traditional ballads to include Australian content. Charles Thatcher was a particularly successful exponent of this type of theatre. Songs and poems began to deal with aspects of life and work in the Australian bush, the nature of the land, the relationships between Aborigines and white settlers, and the exploits of celebrated outlaw figures.
Noted poets of this era included Charles Harpur, Ada Cambridge and Australia's "Father of Federation", Sir Henry Parkes. However, the two best known and enduring of all are Henry Kendall and Adam Lindsay Gordon, whose poetry demonstrated that the ballad form could provide an effective setting for many facets of Australian life. Their work had a major influence on the next generation of poets to come.Adam Lindsay Gordon is the only Australian poet to be commemorated in "Poets' Corner" at Westminster Abbey, with a bust sculpted by Lady Kathleen Hilton Young (widow of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott).
Prelude to the Golden Age - 1880-1890
One of the most significant events in Australian poetry history occurred on 31 January 1880. That date marked the first edition of a magazine published by Jules Francois Archibald in partnership with John Haynes. The Bulletin was an instant success and reached people from all walks of life.
Archibald published a wide range of articles from all sides of the political spectrum and community opinion. These items were often used by bush poets of the day as subjects for their poems – which in turn, began to appear in The Bulletin. As the magazine's character evolved, it became a platform for aspiring writers, and by 1890 it was the focal point of an emerging literary nationalism known as the "Bulletin School". A number of its contributors from this emerging "Golden Age" from 1890 onwards became the giants of Australian literature. The Bulletin continued to be published for 130 years. Its final issue was January 2008.
Poets of note during the 1880s were Francis Adams, WT Goodge, John Farrell – plus three amazing women who had far reaching influences on Australian poetry. Mary Hannay Foott, a Queensland school teacher, became one of the editors of The Queenslander newspaper. Emily Mary Barton, widow of a NSW grazier, was the grandmother of Banjo Paterson. Louisa Lawson was a prominent women's rights activist who established and printed The Republican and The Dawn journals. She was also Henry Lawson's mother. There is no doubt that the poetry written by Emily Mary Barton and Louisa Lawson had a profound effect on the developing talents of young Paterson and Lawson.
The Golden Age - 1890-1910
The decade or so prior to the federation of Australia on 1 January 1901 was a turbulent time in the nation's history, as differing political opinions ran hot between the British establishment, those who supported a national Australian democratic system, and some who favoured full independence for each Australian state.
The essence of the Australian community is best reflected in the bush poetry of the time. The Bulletin magazine was extremely influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until 1917, in a time that was known as The Bulletin School of Australian literature.
This truly was the "Golden Age" of Australian classic bush poetry, with a proliferation of newly published writers – including Edward Dyson, George Essex Evans, and Joseph Furphy (who took the penname Tom Collins). But undoubtedly the two most famous and influential emerging poets of the time were Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson and Henry Lawson. They were contemporaries, but came from completely different ends of the social scale. Banjo had been born into comparative privilege, whereas Henry's life was marked by struggle. Their differing perspectives of bush life engendered a celebrated poetic debate through the pages of The Bulletin magazine in 1892, and gave rise to Australia's most enduring classic literature, including Lawson's The Drover's Wife, and Paterson's The Man from Snowy River and Waltzing Matilda.
Loss of Innocence - 1910-1920
The second decade of the 20th century is chiefly remembered for the tragically mis-named "War to End All Wars". Many historians assert that 1913 was the last "normal" year – a year of optimism in a world about to be catapulted into war. Australian poetry was affected by world events and as Australia became increasingly involved in the conflict, recruitment campaigns included poetry designed to stir up sentiments of patriotism. Songs of a Campaign by Leon Gellert is one published example of this, as are many poems featured at the time by newspapers across the country.
Writers of the era continued to extol the beauty of Australia – some in the traditional "bush" style, such as Louis Esson, Marie Pitt and Frank Williamson, while others, notably Lesbia Harford and John Shaw Neilson, introduced a visionary quality that was a foregleam of changing poetry styles to come.
This decade, however, really belongs to one man – the incomparable Clarence James Stanislaus Dennis. Though he had written some earlier verse, CJ Dennis published his first volume Backblock Ballads and Other Verses in 1913. But it was The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke (1914) that cemented his place in Australian literature. This book, together with its sequels The Moods of Ginger Mick, Doreen, Digger Smith and Rose of Spadgers, painted a vivid picture of working class life through one of the most turbulent decades of Australia's history. Dennis pushed the boundaries of traditional bush poetry – preserving rhyme and metre, yet taking on more adventurous poetic structures, and striking out on his own with the use of street slang vernacular in his dialogue. Later he went on to celebrate the Dandenong Ranges with Jim of the Hills and The Singing Garden, and ventured into political satire with The Glugs of Gosh.
Newspapers continued to be an effective vehicle for poetry publication. For example, CJ Dennis had an association with the Melbourne Herald that involved submitting a poem a day – usually based on a current news event. Quite a commitment, considering it lasted for some 16 years and ending only with his death in 1938. It is estimated that in total, CJ Dennis wrote well over 4,000 verses – making him arguably the most prolific poet that Australia has ever seen.
Seeking a New Voice - 1920-1935
Australia emerged from the first World War with a sense of optimism and progress. Fashions and attitudes were more liberated and technology began to advance. Qantas Airlines and the Royal Flying Doctor service were established – and a young cricketer named Don Bradman was on the rise! Motor cars became part of everyday life, and the future looked bright – until the Great Depression of 1929 sobered the jazz generation and drew it into the more restrained atmosphere of the 30s.
Henry Lawson died in 1922. Interest in traditional bush poetry was declining, although CJ Dennis and Banjo Paterson continued to write, living on till 1938 and 1941 respectively. Writers Vance Palmer and Louis Esson attempted to establish a National Theatre in Melbourne, but the bush themes of their plays were underappreciated.
Radio and talking pictures were taking over and opinions were vacillating. Proponents of the new ideas also struggled for acceptance. Poet Kenneth Slessor's journal Vision: A Literary Quarterly tried to jolt Australian writing out of the bush and into the city. It ran for only four issues. Other poets of the time exhibited diverse styles – from Hugh McCrae's fastidious word pictures sprinkled with humour, to John Shaw Neilson's old-fashioned lyrical romanticism. All in all, it seemed a time of exploration – discarding the old, experimenting with the new in an effort to find Australia's modern voice. In this respect, Australia's poetry journey mirrored that of the art world.
Creative Rivalry - 1935-1956
During the 1930s, some Australian writers became concerned about a potential loss of national identity, leading to the Jindyworobak movement in 1937. The Aboriginal word, meaning "to join", came to identify poets who found inspiration in the bush ballad tradition, indigenous Australian culture and the outback. The Jindyworobaks published an annual anthology from 1938 to 1953. Besides founder Rex Ingamells, members included Nancy Cato and Ian Mudie.
Diametrically opposed to the Jindyworobaks were the Angry Penguins, a modernist movement whose title was taken from a poem by Max Harris, the founder of Angry Penguins magazine in 1940. They favoured expressionism and surrealism and spurned traditional verse and values. They were seen as "angry young men" – the rebels of their day. As well as poets, the Angry Penguins included artists such as Arthur Boyd and Sidney Nolan.
In 1944 Angry Penguins magazine was the victim of a bizarre literary hoax. James McAuley and Harold Stewart, two opponents of the movement, concocted a set of modernist poems purporting to be the work of a deceased poet named "Ern Malley". Max Harris enthusiastically published the poems and a storm broke when the hoax was revealed. Harris was convicted for publishing obscenities and the modernist movement in Australia was substantially damaged.
While this was going on, the progression of World War II was also a fertile ground for poets such as Douglas Stewart, David Campbell, Kenneth Slessor, JS Manifold, Val Vallis and Ian Mudie. Then, in 1956 an event occurred that was to change the face of all the arts in Australia, including poetry. That event was the coming of television.
Mixed Media - 1956-1980
In Australia, at 7:00 pm on September 16, 1956, Bruce Gyngell uttered the famous words, "Good evening, and welcome to television." This new and exciting event had an increasing impact on leisure time in general and the live performing arts in particular, including poetry. The reading of written verse also suffered.
New instances of traditional bush poetry were not very plentiful, but some writers continued to champion the Australian "voice", both in rhyming and non-rhyming styles. Judith Wright, Les Murray, David Malouf and Aboriginal poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) were among this group.
On the other hand, visionary and modernist poetry was attracting its own following. Poets of this genre turned their thoughts inward, exploring human feelings, love and sexuality in abstract and sometimes graphic settings. Rodney Hall, Kate Llewellyn, Joanne Burns and Rudi Krausmann were known for poems of this type.
Very little poetry was featured on television, but some newspapers ran poetry competitions or featured a weekly "poetry corner". Radio announcers such as Russ Tyson and Garry Ord also included poetry in their "Hospital Hour" programs which ran for many years. Bush poet Wilbur G Howcroft was a regular contributor, as were Hope Spencer, Elsie Pearson, and Betty Lester – housewives who wrote about the highs and lows of family life. As the years passed, however, the gulf between traditional rhyming verse and abstract free verse was widening.
Voices in the Wilderness - 1980-1994
Continuing earlier successes, free verse poet Les Murray entered the 1980s as a major figure in Australian literary circles. The recipient of many national and international awards, Murray's poetry, while not traditionally rhymed or metred, celebrates the uniqueness of Australian culture and lifestyle. During this time a number of other rhyming and free verse poets were active, including two well-known personalities – Barry Humphries and expatriate broadcaster Clive James.
On the other side of the coin, a significant revival was on the horizon. This began as early as 1972 with the inauguration of the annual Bronze Swagman Award for Bush Verse established in Winton, the spiritual home of Waltzing Matilda. In the late 1980s a small number of bush poets began to perform at the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival, gaining increasing popularity each year.
1991 saw the introduction of the Blackened Billy written bush verse competition, which along with the Bronze Swagman, generated renewed interest in metred and rhymed verse about Australia, its people and its way of life. Bush poetry was back! As the 1990s progressed, individual writers and performers would consolidate under a banner that would ensure their work was heard, read and recognised.
Back to the Future - 1994-2000
The year 1994 saw the formation of an organised group dedicated to the preservation of a unique Australian voice through traditional rhyming verse. From small beginnings the Australian Bush Poets Association grew to include performing poets, writers, festival organisers and those who simply enjoy traditional poetry through reading and listening.
ABPA Australian performance championships began in 1995, followed by written championships in 1999. State championships were also sponsored, along with the annual Tamworth Golden Damper performance award. Individual poetry groups and others also organised events, with increased opportunities for writers and performers.
Foundation members of the ABPA established firm grounding for emerging writers and performers. Qualified written and performance judges were selected, and competition guidelines established. ABPA became the custodian of bush poetry, which is defined as "metred and rhymed poetry about Australia, Australians and/or the Australian way of life". As the 21st century approached, the horizons of that definition were about to be widened to include new subjects and themes.
The New Millenium - 2000 and beyond
Electronic media has opened up many opportunities to promote poetry. The Australian Bush Poets Association established its website http://www.abpa.org.au/ in 2005, preserving a record of members' achievements, along with a library of prize-winning written bush verse, viewable via this link: http://www.abpa.org.au/award-winning-poetry.html
On the performance front, the yearly migration of caravanning "grey nomads" has opened the door for bush poetry "around the campfire" in caravan parks and other venues, with a number of poets performing nightly at various centres during the tourist season. Country music festivals also continue to feature bush poetry as standard repertoire.
One characteristic of modern bush poetry is its diversity. Poets still write of history and the land, but many have also embraced the issues of our time, such as aged care, dementia, domestic violence, child abuse, homelessness, addiction, suicide, adoption, environmental issues, mental and physical health. Some have questioned this broadening of scope, but really, it is no different from the bush poets of the past, who also wrote candidly about the world in which they lived.
Other poetry groups continue to preserve and promote Australian verse. The Henry Lawson Memorial and Literary Society, established in 1923, is still going strong – and there is also a Henry Lawson Society of NSW. In 2010 the CJ Dennis Society was formed, and the Adam Lindsay Gordon Commemorative Committee began in 2006. Throughout the country many regional poetry clubs and groups are alive and well, and various branches of the Fellowship of Australian Writers support both rhyming and non-rhyming verse.
The path of Australian poetry over the past two centuries has been an eventful one - but the question is ... where to from here?
Sadly, many poetry associations and groups are facing the challenge of aging membership, decreased participation and increased costs. With a few exceptions, younger generations are showing less interest in poetry in general, and traditional bush poetry in particular. Free verse is often seen by educators as more trendy, more cutting-edge, than its rhyming counterpart - with the inevitable result that our bush poetry heritage (both classic and modern) is at times undeservedly neglected. Yet it can be successfully argued that traditional Australian rhyming poetry still has a voice and can play a meaningful role in illuminating life in this 21st century.
The perfect summing-up of the enduring power of traditional bush verse throughout this walk through the story of Australian poetry belongs to my colleague and friend, awarded Queensland poet Kay Gorring. This poem is published with her kind permission. Please visit her website to enjoy more of her quality writing ... http://www.kaygorring.com/
Conversation With a Friend
(c) Kay Gorring 2018
While having tea the other day a friend asked me ...
I'm worried for you dearest friend, your passion's made you blind.
It's time you moved along in writing, left the rhyme behind.
Your metred style is dead and gone, you just refuse to see.
Abandon it to passing fads, it's time to leave it be.
Discard those old traditions, go and leave them to their time,
there are no modern places left for poetry in rhyme.
I listened while she talked and then I answered ...
You talk as if it's easy, like a poet has a choice,
but poetry is far from dead and it will choose its voice.
It has no need of favours, has no level or a mark,
you cannot snuff the flame because you do not like its spark.
Oh yes, I know the pain you speak, I live it every day.
I understand your reasons but will write it anyway.
Beginnings - 1788-1830
From the arrival of the first fleet in January 1788 until 1823, the Colony of New South Wales was classified as a penal colony, although free settlers began to arrive from 1793 onwards. There were no formal schools in Australia in the early years, and only those educated in England could read or write. Storytelling was oral, and in an effort to aid memorisation, rhyme and metre were introduced. influenced by European poetic ballads and sea shanties. This was the beginning, not only of traditional bush poetry, but also the larger-than-life yarn which has become so much a part of our tradition.
The stories of early bush poetry reflected the life and times of the colonies – both urban and rural. Anything that could hold the attention of an audience was included – from tragic events to humorous tales, or simply items of current interest. Bush poetry is truly Australia's first home-grown popular culture. In 1802 George Howe founded Australia's first newspaper, the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, published weekly. It included Australian poetry – the first to be written down and published, even though it was heavily censored by the British Administration.
Australian poets of this era included Barron Field, Charles Tompson, and politicians John Dunmore Lang and William Charles Wentworth (also noted for the first crossing of the Blue Mountains with Blaxland and Lawson in 1813). Wentworth's epic poem Australasia became famous after receiving a major poetry prize in 1822.The first novel written in Australia was published in 1830, Quintus Servinton, A Tale Founded upon Incidents of Real Occurrence, by Henry Savery, was a fictionalised account of his experiences as a convict in Tasmania.
Developing an Identity - 1830-1880
Beginning in the 1830s, a concerted effort was made to provide accessible education facilities to children in the colonies. Public and private schools were established, but it was not until 1875 that schooling became compulsory for children from 7 to 13 years of age. As schools became more accessible, literacy improved, and along with it, a unique Australian voice began to emerge in all forms of the arts, including poetry.
The goldrush years provided an added opportunity for travelling entertainers, many of whom adapted and parodied traditional ballads to include Australian content. Charles Thatcher was a particularly successful exponent of this type of theatre. Songs and poems began to deal with aspects of life and work in the Australian bush, the nature of the land, the relationships between Aborigines and white settlers, and the exploits of celebrated outlaw figures.
Noted poets of this era included Charles Harpur, Ada Cambridge and Australia's "Father of Federation", Sir Henry Parkes. However, the two best known and enduring of all are Henry Kendall and Adam Lindsay Gordon, whose poetry demonstrated that the ballad form could provide an effective setting for many facets of Australian life. Their work had a major influence on the next generation of poets to come.Adam Lindsay Gordon is the only Australian poet to be commemorated in "Poets' Corner" at Westminster Abbey, with a bust sculpted by Lady Kathleen Hilton Young (widow of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott).
Prelude to the Golden Age - 1880-1890
One of the most significant events in Australian poetry history occurred on 31 January 1880. That date marked the first edition of a magazine published by Jules Francois Archibald in partnership with John Haynes. The Bulletin was an instant success and reached people from all walks of life.
Archibald published a wide range of articles from all sides of the political spectrum and community opinion. These items were often used by bush poets of the day as subjects for their poems – which in turn, began to appear in The Bulletin. As the magazine's character evolved, it became a platform for aspiring writers, and by 1890 it was the focal point of an emerging literary nationalism known as the "Bulletin School". A number of its contributors from this emerging "Golden Age" from 1890 onwards became the giants of Australian literature. The Bulletin continued to be published for 130 years. Its final issue was January 2008.
Poets of note during the 1880s were Francis Adams, WT Goodge, John Farrell – plus three amazing women who had far reaching influences on Australian poetry. Mary Hannay Foott, a Queensland school teacher, became one of the editors of The Queenslander newspaper. Emily Mary Barton, widow of a NSW grazier, was the grandmother of Banjo Paterson. Louisa Lawson was a prominent women's rights activist who established and printed The Republican and The Dawn journals. She was also Henry Lawson's mother. There is no doubt that the poetry written by Emily Mary Barton and Louisa Lawson had a profound effect on the developing talents of young Paterson and Lawson.
The Golden Age - 1890-1910
The decade or so prior to the federation of Australia on 1 January 1901 was a turbulent time in the nation's history, as differing political opinions ran hot between the British establishment, those who supported a national Australian democratic system, and some who favoured full independence for each Australian state.
The essence of the Australian community is best reflected in the bush poetry of the time. The Bulletin magazine was extremely influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until 1917, in a time that was known as The Bulletin School of Australian literature.
This truly was the "Golden Age" of Australian classic bush poetry, with a proliferation of newly published writers – including Edward Dyson, George Essex Evans, and Joseph Furphy (who took the penname Tom Collins). But undoubtedly the two most famous and influential emerging poets of the time were Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson and Henry Lawson. They were contemporaries, but came from completely different ends of the social scale. Banjo had been born into comparative privilege, whereas Henry's life was marked by struggle. Their differing perspectives of bush life engendered a celebrated poetic debate through the pages of The Bulletin magazine in 1892, and gave rise to Australia's most enduring classic literature, including Lawson's The Drover's Wife, and Paterson's The Man from Snowy River and Waltzing Matilda.
Loss of Innocence - 1910-1920
The second decade of the 20th century is chiefly remembered for the tragically mis-named "War to End All Wars". Many historians assert that 1913 was the last "normal" year – a year of optimism in a world about to be catapulted into war. Australian poetry was affected by world events and as Australia became increasingly involved in the conflict, recruitment campaigns included poetry designed to stir up sentiments of patriotism. Songs of a Campaign by Leon Gellert is one published example of this, as are many poems featured at the time by newspapers across the country.
Writers of the era continued to extol the beauty of Australia – some in the traditional "bush" style, such as Louis Esson, Marie Pitt and Frank Williamson, while others, notably Lesbia Harford and John Shaw Neilson, introduced a visionary quality that was a foregleam of changing poetry styles to come.
This decade, however, really belongs to one man – the incomparable Clarence James Stanislaus Dennis. Though he had written some earlier verse, CJ Dennis published his first volume Backblock Ballads and Other Verses in 1913. But it was The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke (1914) that cemented his place in Australian literature. This book, together with its sequels The Moods of Ginger Mick, Doreen, Digger Smith and Rose of Spadgers, painted a vivid picture of working class life through one of the most turbulent decades of Australia's history. Dennis pushed the boundaries of traditional bush poetry – preserving rhyme and metre, yet taking on more adventurous poetic structures, and striking out on his own with the use of street slang vernacular in his dialogue. Later he went on to celebrate the Dandenong Ranges with Jim of the Hills and The Singing Garden, and ventured into political satire with The Glugs of Gosh.
Newspapers continued to be an effective vehicle for poetry publication. For example, CJ Dennis had an association with the Melbourne Herald that involved submitting a poem a day – usually based on a current news event. Quite a commitment, considering it lasted for some 16 years and ending only with his death in 1938. It is estimated that in total, CJ Dennis wrote well over 4,000 verses – making him arguably the most prolific poet that Australia has ever seen.
Seeking a New Voice - 1920-1935
Australia emerged from the first World War with a sense of optimism and progress. Fashions and attitudes were more liberated and technology began to advance. Qantas Airlines and the Royal Flying Doctor service were established – and a young cricketer named Don Bradman was on the rise! Motor cars became part of everyday life, and the future looked bright – until the Great Depression of 1929 sobered the jazz generation and drew it into the more restrained atmosphere of the 30s.
Henry Lawson died in 1922. Interest in traditional bush poetry was declining, although CJ Dennis and Banjo Paterson continued to write, living on till 1938 and 1941 respectively. Writers Vance Palmer and Louis Esson attempted to establish a National Theatre in Melbourne, but the bush themes of their plays were underappreciated.
Radio and talking pictures were taking over and opinions were vacillating. Proponents of the new ideas also struggled for acceptance. Poet Kenneth Slessor's journal Vision: A Literary Quarterly tried to jolt Australian writing out of the bush and into the city. It ran for only four issues. Other poets of the time exhibited diverse styles – from Hugh McCrae's fastidious word pictures sprinkled with humour, to John Shaw Neilson's old-fashioned lyrical romanticism. All in all, it seemed a time of exploration – discarding the old, experimenting with the new in an effort to find Australia's modern voice. In this respect, Australia's poetry journey mirrored that of the art world.
Creative Rivalry - 1935-1956
During the 1930s, some Australian writers became concerned about a potential loss of national identity, leading to the Jindyworobak movement in 1937. The Aboriginal word, meaning "to join", came to identify poets who found inspiration in the bush ballad tradition, indigenous Australian culture and the outback. The Jindyworobaks published an annual anthology from 1938 to 1953. Besides founder Rex Ingamells, members included Nancy Cato and Ian Mudie.
Diametrically opposed to the Jindyworobaks were the Angry Penguins, a modernist movement whose title was taken from a poem by Max Harris, the founder of Angry Penguins magazine in 1940. They favoured expressionism and surrealism and spurned traditional verse and values. They were seen as "angry young men" – the rebels of their day. As well as poets, the Angry Penguins included artists such as Arthur Boyd and Sidney Nolan.
In 1944 Angry Penguins magazine was the victim of a bizarre literary hoax. James McAuley and Harold Stewart, two opponents of the movement, concocted a set of modernist poems purporting to be the work of a deceased poet named "Ern Malley". Max Harris enthusiastically published the poems and a storm broke when the hoax was revealed. Harris was convicted for publishing obscenities and the modernist movement in Australia was substantially damaged.
While this was going on, the progression of World War II was also a fertile ground for poets such as Douglas Stewart, David Campbell, Kenneth Slessor, JS Manifold, Val Vallis and Ian Mudie. Then, in 1956 an event occurred that was to change the face of all the arts in Australia, including poetry. That event was the coming of television.
Mixed Media - 1956-1980
In Australia, at 7:00 pm on September 16, 1956, Bruce Gyngell uttered the famous words, "Good evening, and welcome to television." This new and exciting event had an increasing impact on leisure time in general and the live performing arts in particular, including poetry. The reading of written verse also suffered.
New instances of traditional bush poetry were not very plentiful, but some writers continued to champion the Australian "voice", both in rhyming and non-rhyming styles. Judith Wright, Les Murray, David Malouf and Aboriginal poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) were among this group.
On the other hand, visionary and modernist poetry was attracting its own following. Poets of this genre turned their thoughts inward, exploring human feelings, love and sexuality in abstract and sometimes graphic settings. Rodney Hall, Kate Llewellyn, Joanne Burns and Rudi Krausmann were known for poems of this type.
Very little poetry was featured on television, but some newspapers ran poetry competitions or featured a weekly "poetry corner". Radio announcers such as Russ Tyson and Garry Ord also included poetry in their "Hospital Hour" programs which ran for many years. Bush poet Wilbur G Howcroft was a regular contributor, as were Hope Spencer, Elsie Pearson, and Betty Lester – housewives who wrote about the highs and lows of family life. As the years passed, however, the gulf between traditional rhyming verse and abstract free verse was widening.
Voices in the Wilderness - 1980-1994
Continuing earlier successes, free verse poet Les Murray entered the 1980s as a major figure in Australian literary circles. The recipient of many national and international awards, Murray's poetry, while not traditionally rhymed or metred, celebrates the uniqueness of Australian culture and lifestyle. During this time a number of other rhyming and free verse poets were active, including two well-known personalities – Barry Humphries and expatriate broadcaster Clive James.
On the other side of the coin, a significant revival was on the horizon. This began as early as 1972 with the inauguration of the annual Bronze Swagman Award for Bush Verse established in Winton, the spiritual home of Waltzing Matilda. In the late 1980s a small number of bush poets began to perform at the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival, gaining increasing popularity each year.
1991 saw the introduction of the Blackened Billy written bush verse competition, which along with the Bronze Swagman, generated renewed interest in metred and rhymed verse about Australia, its people and its way of life. Bush poetry was back! As the 1990s progressed, individual writers and performers would consolidate under a banner that would ensure their work was heard, read and recognised.
Back to the Future - 1994-2000
The year 1994 saw the formation of an organised group dedicated to the preservation of a unique Australian voice through traditional rhyming verse. From small beginnings the Australian Bush Poets Association grew to include performing poets, writers, festival organisers and those who simply enjoy traditional poetry through reading and listening.
ABPA Australian performance championships began in 1995, followed by written championships in 1999. State championships were also sponsored, along with the annual Tamworth Golden Damper performance award. Individual poetry groups and others also organised events, with increased opportunities for writers and performers.
Foundation members of the ABPA established firm grounding for emerging writers and performers. Qualified written and performance judges were selected, and competition guidelines established. ABPA became the custodian of bush poetry, which is defined as "metred and rhymed poetry about Australia, Australians and/or the Australian way of life". As the 21st century approached, the horizons of that definition were about to be widened to include new subjects and themes.
The New Millenium - 2000 and beyond
Electronic media has opened up many opportunities to promote poetry. The Australian Bush Poets Association established its website http://www.abpa.org.au/ in 2005, preserving a record of members' achievements, along with a library of prize-winning written bush verse, viewable via this link: http://www.abpa.org.au/award-winning-poetry.html
On the performance front, the yearly migration of caravanning "grey nomads" has opened the door for bush poetry "around the campfire" in caravan parks and other venues, with a number of poets performing nightly at various centres during the tourist season. Country music festivals also continue to feature bush poetry as standard repertoire.
One characteristic of modern bush poetry is its diversity. Poets still write of history and the land, but many have also embraced the issues of our time, such as aged care, dementia, domestic violence, child abuse, homelessness, addiction, suicide, adoption, environmental issues, mental and physical health. Some have questioned this broadening of scope, but really, it is no different from the bush poets of the past, who also wrote candidly about the world in which they lived.
Other poetry groups continue to preserve and promote Australian verse. The Henry Lawson Memorial and Literary Society, established in 1923, is still going strong – and there is also a Henry Lawson Society of NSW. In 2010 the CJ Dennis Society was formed, and the Adam Lindsay Gordon Commemorative Committee began in 2006. Throughout the country many regional poetry clubs and groups are alive and well, and various branches of the Fellowship of Australian Writers support both rhyming and non-rhyming verse.
The path of Australian poetry over the past two centuries has been an eventful one - but the question is ... where to from here?
Sadly, many poetry associations and groups are facing the challenge of aging membership, decreased participation and increased costs. With a few exceptions, younger generations are showing less interest in poetry in general, and traditional bush poetry in particular. Free verse is often seen by educators as more trendy, more cutting-edge, than its rhyming counterpart - with the inevitable result that our bush poetry heritage (both classic and modern) is at times undeservedly neglected. Yet it can be successfully argued that traditional Australian rhyming poetry still has a voice and can play a meaningful role in illuminating life in this 21st century.
The perfect summing-up of the enduring power of traditional bush verse throughout this walk through the story of Australian poetry belongs to my colleague and friend, awarded Queensland poet Kay Gorring. This poem is published with her kind permission. Please visit her website to enjoy more of her quality writing ... http://www.kaygorring.com/
Conversation With a Friend
(c) Kay Gorring 2018
While having tea the other day a friend asked me ...
I'm worried for you dearest friend, your passion's made you blind.
It's time you moved along in writing, left the rhyme behind.
Your metred style is dead and gone, you just refuse to see.
Abandon it to passing fads, it's time to leave it be.
Discard those old traditions, go and leave them to their time,
there are no modern places left for poetry in rhyme.
I listened while she talked and then I answered ...
You talk as if it's easy, like a poet has a choice,
but poetry is far from dead and it will choose its voice.
It has no need of favours, has no level or a mark,
you cannot snuff the flame because you do not like its spark.
Oh yes, I know the pain you speak, I live it every day.
I understand your reasons but will write it anyway.