AUSTRALIAN BUSH POETRY
By Jack Drake
[Above] Jack performing poetry at the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape
Harvest Festival. (Photo by Jeanne Williams, 2000)
Bush poetry could more accurately be known as "poetry of the people". The term "Bush" came into common usage many years ago in Australia, but similar rhymed verse usually in ballad form, has sprung up around the globe particularly in the New World where European settlement has occurred in the last four centuries.
Popular ballad writers arose during the days of British administration in India as well as South Africa, North America, New Zealand and Australia. Writers such as Robert Service of Canada and David McKee Wright of New Zealand published their stories in verse during the same period as Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson achieved prominence in Australia.
Their original style owed much to poets like Kipling and Byron. In fact Byron's "Destruction of Sennacherib" was written in the simple rhyming couplet form most prevalent in Bush Poetry. Rudyard Kipling had a large influence on ballad writers like Paterson, Lawson and Ogilvie and elements of classic poets such as Keats and Tennyson are detectable in their work.
Early convict songs of The Botany Bay era, with their oral beginnings, definitely had a bearing on bush poetry, but it appears that rollicking style moved over in the 1880s or earlier, for the ballad in dramatic or humorous form. The early convict songs and sea shanties have fed directly into folk music and are alive and well in that scene.
Australia's first recognised Bush Poet was the brooding introspective young Englishman Adam Lindsay Gordon who in the jargon of the times, "left his country for his country's good".
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Gordon had an undistinguished scholastic record at Cheltenham College but excelled in sporting pursuits particularly riding and boxing.
He was shipped off to the colonies at age 19 following his expulsion from College. Although constantly at loggerheads with his school masters, he was extremely well read in classical Latin, Greek, French and English authors, with Ovid and Horace being his favourites.
Gordon's verse was somewhere between the classics he loved and the galloping rhymes of his successors Paterson, Lawson and The Bulletin brigade. A reckless horseman who many believed was possessed of a death wish, Gordon shot himself in a fit of depression in June 1840. |
[Above] Adam Lindsay Gordon (Artwork by artist unknown, year unknown)
A.B. "Banjo" Paterson and Henry Lawson became popular writers in the 1880s both publishing their first works in 1885 in the pages of the "Bulletin", a Sydney magazine whose editor, J.F.Archibald, addressed such issues as free trade, Australian Federation, Irish Home rule and the impending war in South Africa as well as providing The Red Page which became the grail of Australian Bush Poets.
The Red Page became an outlet for budding poets and although Banjo and Henry were recognised as its major stars, a great many Bush Bards received exposure up until Archibald's retirement in 1902 when The Bulletin changed its format. Other notable Bulletin poets were Will H.Ogilvie, Barcroft Boake, Harry "Breaker" Morant, W.T.Goodgee and George Essex Evans.
The only woman bush poet to surface in earlier times was Dorothea Mackellar whose piece "My Country" has become as a classic. However, this work is her only widely recognised poem. It must be remembered that the outback was a very male dominated area with women outnumbered by at least 20 to 1 well into the early days of the twentieth century. Many poets celebrated women's contributions to the days of early settlement, with the most notable being George Essex Evans' "The Women of the West".
Although most of the notable poets were possessed of better than average education, their themes and heroes were definitely working class. This probably accounts for the wide appeal bush poetry had in the days of the Bulletin poets and also for the following it attracts today.
Bush poetry takes its name from its beginnings when its themes were almost exclusively rural. Henry Lawson was one of the first to write of conditions in the city. He was essentially a social commentator who keenly felt the injustices suffered by the workers. The celebrated 'City versus the Bush' duel between Lawson and Paterson in the Bulletin was really a put-up job. Banjo and Henry were good friends despite the fact that Paterson came from a moneyed background, while Lawson was fiercely 'working class' and shaped to a high degree by his mother Louisa, who was a pioneer of Womens' Suffrage and a radical poet.
Lawson opened the batting in July, 1896 with "Borderland" later published as "Up the Country" which began ...
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"I'm back from up the country - very sorry that I went
Seeking out the southern poet's land whereon to pitch my tent.
I have lost a lot of idols that were broken on the track,
Burnt a lot of fancy verses and I'm glad that I am back." |
[Above] Henry Lawson (Photo by photographer unknown, year unknown)
The poem went on to catalogue the dreary misery of the bush where "gaunt and haggard women live alone and work like men" and "Sunny plains! Great Scott - those burning wastes of barren soil and sand". This caused Banjo to come back a fortnight later with "In Defence of the Bush" which began ....
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"So you're back from up the country Mr. Lawson where you went
and you're cursing all the business in a bitter discontent.
Well I grieve to disappoint you and it makes us sad to hear
That it wasn't cool and shady and there wasn't plenty beer." |
[Above] Andrew Barton Paterson (Photo by photographer unknown, year unknown)
The whole object of the Bulletin 'City-Bush' controversy in verse was to sell and publish poems, and Paterson and Lawson enjoyed themselves hugely as they wrote replies to each other.
The 'Country-City' controversy has always existed and is nothing more than the result of human nature being critical of opinions and attitudes that differ from their own. This provides fertile ground for the poet and today the practice of 'poking a bit of Borak' at different lifestyles is alive and well. Everyone from politicians to hippies can 'cop a bit of a serve' but if today's bush poets are anti anything, it would have to be American influences.
Poets and their audiences are all keen to preserve Australia's language and way of life, and woe betide the bush poet who uses terminology like "Guy", "Gal", "Buddy" or other Americanisms in their work.
Up until the end of the 1920s Bush Poetry enjoyed huge popularity in Australia. Banjo Paterson's "Man from Snowy River and other Verses" published in 1895 broke all Australian publishing records to date, but from 1930 onwards, it began to decline in popularity. There were few publications willing to print it and the bush poem retreated to its natural environment - the campfire and country hall.
This, I feel, is mainly due to the widening gap in those times between rural and urban lifestyles. The age of technology was getting into gear, forward thinking and progress was a byword, and city people were beginning to regard the country as outdated and slow.
The Depression of the 1930s cannot be considered as a factor because history has shown that simple entertainment mediums thrive in hard times. If anything, the Depression years would have established bush poetry even more firmly in rural areas where its appeal had never dimmed.
[Above] Jack performing the poem "The Cattle Dog's Revenge" at the Bush Laureate Awards in the Tamworth Town Hall in 2002. The CD of that name had been a finalist for that year. (Photo by Stella Drake, 2002)
This seemed to be an international trend in those days. In America as well as Australia, rural based art forms like Country and Western Music, Bluegrass, and Bush Poetry's American equivalent "Cowboy Poetry", stagnated until a rising awareness of heritage and National pride emerged in the last decades of the century.
Many talented writers were plying their craft in those doldrum years but their work was largely unnoticed outside their local area. Poets like Lex McLennan, Keith Garvy, Col Newsome, Dan Sheahan, Bruce Simpson, Jack Sorenson, Bill Glasson, Colleen McLaughlin and Charlee Marshall were writing wonderfully dramatic, poignant and humorous verse through the decades up to the 1980s, but no one seemed to care.
As can be expected, these poets had their roots firmly in the bush. Lex McLennan grew up in Queensland's Dawson River country and was inspired by the crack stockmen of the huge Brigalow Scrubs in that region before it was largely cleared for farming. McLennan's work was parochial but he was a master of the lyrical turn of phrase.
Keith Garvy and Col Newsome both came from the shearing game and for many years they pushed the 'bogie lizard' (Shearing clippers) as pen mates and firm friends. Col is one of the Grand Old Men of Bush Poetry and at 86 is still writing and reciting in his home town of Glen Innes.
Dan Sheahan was a North Queensland cane farmer and the real author of Slim Dusty's classic "The Pub with no Beer". Bruce Simpson at 80 years of age could rightly claim the title of Australia's Greatest Living Bush Poet. Jack Sorenson was a man of the land from the Injune area as was Bill Glasson who now lives in retirement at Clifton on the Darling Downs.
Colleen McLaughlin's beautiful work gives an insight into the life of rural women. The late Charlee Marshall's hilarious tales in verse were offset by the occasional foray into powerful dramatic work by this school teacher from Thangool. The work of these poets, and many other post 1930 verse writers, are contained in a book published by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria called "A Thousand Campfires".
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It is generally accepted that the bicentennial year of 1988 was the catalyst that reinvented Bush Poetry for the Australian Public. A wave of national pride swept through the country and Australians became aware that they had a rich and varied history and heritage. The need to blindly follow overseas trends became less important as Aussies began to reclaim their identity.
Along with bush poetry, other Australian art forms such as indigenous dance and culture groups emerged and regional historical societies experienced a huge leap in popularity. More than ever before, Australians are now touring their own country with these people as audiences. The biggest Bush Poetry venue in the country today is the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Spoken word performances have their own National Awards and are included in Poetry and Folk Festivals and Music events all over the land.
The traditional works of the old Bulletin poets are being revived before appreciative audiences and a large number of New Wave Bush Poets are writing and performing. The new wave is a diverse group. Marco Gliori, an ex-policeman of Italian extraction, writes and performs verse relating to his experiences in regional cities and towns. |
[Above] Absolutely Australian by Keith Garvey (Cover Artwork by Reg McGregor, 1979)
Shirley Friend is an English migrant and her style of stand-up comic poetry lays them in the aisles. Gary Fogarty, the inaugural Australian Champion Bush Poet, is fiercely rural but covers a broad spectrum of themes. His inspirational work "Bigger, Sharper Spurs" is in direct contrast to his hilarious put-downs of the American Line Dancing craze and other such differing themes as Yuppie Bar-B-Ques and Garden Gnomes.
Neil McArthur, the Ratbag of Rhyme, does not have a serious bone in his body and can be regarded as a comedian of rare ability. Nothing is sacred to this unabashed Bard from Ballarat.
Carmel Dunn is probably Australia's finest female competition poet. Her presentation of dramatic and poignant pieces is memorable. Marion Fitzgerald and Janine Haig would share the honours as the top female writers and both can boast a host of accolades.
Milton Taylor has a string of awards to his credit including several Australian Championships. He is the top male competition poet in the country. Ray Essery "The Mullimbimby Bloke" has evolved his own daggy, dairy farmer persona and Ray, along with the late Bobby Miller, must rank among the best performers of comic verse.
A few performers, myself included, are making a living from bush poetry. Performances and workshops as well as C.D. and book sales make for a rewarding lifestyle. I travel a lot doing performances at corporate functions, conventions, festivals and private parties. I often write special poems for these affairs which is an additional source of income.
[Above] Australian 'Bush Poet' Jack Drake Performing Poetry. (Photo by Stella Matheson Drake, 2001)
Music festivals are including bush poets more and more and the audiences they attract point to the increasing popularity of this form of poetry. The 'baby boomer generation' has supplied the bulk of bush poetry fans in the last decade, but young people have begun to take an interest in the last couple of years. Most of the younger fans come from rural backgrounds and I wonder if their interest has a similar motivation to urban youngsters who embrace rap, also a form of poetry.
Today's poets enjoy a much larger subject range to write about than the Banjo and his contemporaries had with the age of technology very much upon us. Rural themes can now have helicopters, Ag. Bikes, road-trains, four wheel drives, aeroplanes, computers and other modern inventions woven into their storylines as well as all the subject matter used by the old Masters.
The new breed of urban Bush Poets are dealing with city life from many standpoints both serious and hilarious, and the audiences just keep growing. I have been performing at the Gympie Country Music Muster Poets Breakfasts for the last five years and my fellow poets, most of whom are among those named above, and I, play every morning for six days, to packed houses in marquee venues that can hold over 3,000 spectators.
Like any other performer, it is a big help to get a break and mine came in the form of the "Bush Poet of the Year" quest run by Asthma N.S.W. I won the inaugural nationwide contest with a humorous piece called "The Cattle Dog's Revenge" which celebrates the brawling victory of "Woody", a country bred blue heeler, over a pedigree city Rottweiler who causes mayhem on a country farm.
The poem seems to touch a nerve with city and country people alike and my CD with this piece as the title track, plus 12 other humorous pieces, has sold over 2,000 copies.
My second disc "Dinkum Poetry" a mixture of comic and serious verse, is into its second pressing and both CDs have been finalists in the Australian Bush Laureate Awards. After self-publishing four books, my first professionally published book "The Cattle Dog's Revenge" was launched in July, 2003 published by Central Queensland University Press. It is going to the printers for its second issue.
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It would be hard to pigeonhole exactly who buys C.Ds and books. As I said, the post war generation seemed to comprise the bulk of our following to begin with, but the fan base is definitely widening.
I believe this is because bush poetry doesn't take itself too seriously and the average person can relate to the subject matter. One of our greatest hurdles has been the public perception of 'Poetry' when it comes to attracting an audience. Mention the 'P' word and people immediately return mentally to their school days when they were bored out of their minds by "hosts of golden daffodils" and "Odes to Grecian Urns".
Highbrow poetry, for want of a better term, entrances its devotees but it does not speak to the people the way bush verse can. The average person would rather have the story laid out for them than try to follow more obscure paths of suggestion - even though one of the true arts of the poet is to paint a word picture open to personal interpretation. |
[Above] Jack receiving his Prize at the Asthma NSW Award dinner in Sydney. (Photo by Alex Green courtesy of Asthma NSW, 2001)
Another reason for the increase in interest by young people is that bush poetry is finding its way into the Education System. Three poets, Marco Gliori, Noel Stallard and Milton Taylor are doing a lot of Arts Council - backed workshops in schools, bringing Australian poetry to young audiences. Many teachers seem to be getting behind this and increasing numbers of entries in Junior Competitions shows the interest is there.
In Bush Poetry circles, it is not acceptable for a poet to read the work, and being an entertaining reciter is mandatory. This probably stems from the oral campfire beginnings of bush poetry and it has become a tradition to recite. There are some very good performers in the public eye now.
Three other poets (Gary Fogarty, Neil McArthur and John Major) and myself, together with singer Adam Kilpatrick, have formed our own show known as "Sex, Lies and Bush Poetry" which we perform daily during the Tamworth Festival in January, and as needed at other venues.
Event organisers who like to include poetry in their entertainment program normally engage two or more professional or semi professional poets to perform as well as compere and/or judge entrants in a competition.
Bush Poetry contests are how most people get started as writers and performers. Competitions for Bush Poetry have either Written or Performance Sections with a variety of categories including Traditional (the work of an established poet), Original, Humorous and Modern or Contemporary. Non-rhyming verse is not accepted and the work must have rhythm and metre.
Competitions are becoming more and more competitive. To know the words is not enough. Performance poets must sell the piece. Rhythm and metre are regarded as very important and this has the effect of keeping the tradition of Australia's original bush poets alive. Some performers have presented non-rhyming works outside competitions but found they were poorly received. I know many poets regard rhymed verse as an inferior style, but you don't hear non-rhyming songs making the charts and bush poetry audiences are adamant they don't want to listen to still verse.
Right or wrong, that is the way it is and although many Australian poets write about the bush, devotees of bush poetry do not recognise them as bush poets in the true sense unless they use rhythm and metre. Certainly some works by poets not generally recognised as "bush" would qualify, Judith Wright's "Bullocky" for example, but as a rule, bush poets are as scathing in their criticism of non-rhyming poets as non-rhymers are of them. A pity really, as all styles have their place.
Most judges of Written Poetry are strict about metre and constant rhyming patterns but more leeway is permitted in Performance Contests as the entrant is also being judged on their ability to sell the poem to an audience.
From a personal point of view, I make no claims about being a structured writer. By this I mean missing or extra syllables here and there and a faithful adherence to hard and soft rhythms is neither here nor there to me. I strive for power, passion and humour in my verse and if I over-workshop I seem to write the poetry out.
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This is no doubt a failing and if I was better at my craft, the ardour should remain with correct metre and rhythms. However, very little verse that wins Written Competitions seems to be selling well, and my pieces are performing in the market place. This possibly means I am selling out to commercialism, but, as Ned said "Such is life!"
Junior competitions are also very popular and it is gratifying to see large numbers of kids getting involved. An art form like Bush Poetry was once only appreciated by older people but now audience ages are becoming younger. The diversity of subject matter these youngsters come up with can be quite startling, but sport would have to be one of the most popular themes and kids being kids, lavatorial subjects get a fair airing. |
[Above] The Cattle Dog's Revenge by Jack Drake, recorded and produced by Restless Music. (Cover Art by Kim Brown, 2001)
All the competent performers in Australia today have a wide range of material at their command ranging from stand up comedy to fill in between humorous poems, to serious dramatic work with appropriate preamble. It is also important to be able to perform some old traditional pieces. Yarn spinning is another popular part of recitals.
Voice timbre, good delivery and, above all, timing are the most vital parts of a good performance. Some people are very active onstage, others keep animation to a minimum. Bush Poetry works best in a venue where the performer can get close to the audience, so facial expression, body language and eye contact are all tools used by an entertaining reciter.
The atmosphere of a venue definitely has a bearing on its success. Bush poetry is at its absolute best around a campfire unplugged. The performer is really up against it when asked to work in a basketball stadium or a main stage venue at an outdoor concert for example.
Pubs, Clubs, Coffee Houses and country halls are all good places to work. School classrooms are fine - anywhere you can get up close and personal with at least the front rows of your audience. Probably the best venue I have worked at is the Gympie Muster Poets Breakfasts. The crowds are big but they come to listen and onstage you are no more than four metres from the front row of seats. The atmosphere is laid back and Gympie crowds are mega responsive.
I have toured over a lot of Australia and two other regular poetry venues that hold special memories are the Waltzing Matilda Celebrations at Winton in Western Queensland and Tamworth's Longyard Hotel. There is no doubt that performance poetry is at its very best during a live performance but airplay by radio stations and sale of recordings is the way to reach the wider audience. With this in mind, poets who rely on acting out their pieces with elaborate histrionics, will not come across as well on air or CD.
Radio Stations that give bush poetry an airing are on the increase. Colin Munroe's "Australia All Over" on A.B.C. National only runs for a short time per year, but Colin has been a great champion of bush verse as has Ian MacNamara for whom Colin stands in. Chris Jensen's "Early Morning Country" on Toowoomba Regional A.B.C. is a regular player as well as Chris Lawson on Capricornia A.B.C. Rockhampton. Bay FM Brisbane and Brisbane's indigenous FM Station "Murri Radio" play lots of bush poetry as does Carter Edwards "Sunday Country" in Newcastle. I have received national airplay on both Alan Jones' and John Laws' shows and many poets are being played by regional A.B.C. and FM stations nationwide.
Bush Poetry made its appearance in Tamworth ten years ago to very humble beginnings. The first venue there sported six poets and an audience of two. A mere decade on, and the main daily shows "Sex, Lies and Bush Poetry" at the Tamworth Golf Club, "The Naked Poets" in another time slot at the same venue, "Jim Haynes Big Bush Brekky" at the Tamworth R.S.L. and "The Longyard Hotel's Traditional Poets Breakfast" are consistently filled with numbers from 200 to 1,000 depending on venue size. The Tamworth City Bowls Club and the Oasis Hotel are also poetry venues where up and coming performers can 'have a go' and many other music venues put poets on between acts.
 
[Above Left] Jack receiving his tropy for winning the Open Male Traditional Bush Poetry Section at Milmerrin in 2001, being presented by the Mayor of Milmerrin. (Photo by photographer unknown, 2001) [Above Right] Smokey Dawson presenting Jack with his prize at the Asthma NSW dinner, Sydney. (Photo by Alex Green courtesy of Asthma NSW, 2001)
Tamworth also hosts one of Australia's leading competitions at The Imperial Hotel. Also in Tamworth, The National Industry Awards for Bush Verse, The Australian Bush Laureate Awards, are announced during the Festival's final week. Western Australia has a thriving bush poetry scene and south east Queensland and northern New South Wales are very active areas. With the upsurge in Outback Tourism amongst retired people these days, almost every caravan park catering to the 'Grey Nomads' has a resident poet or two. The best way to find out where things are happening and poetry news in general, is the Australian Bush Poets Association website at www.bushpoetry.com.au.
Bush poetry is a uniquely Australian art form but it does have its parallels in other countries. I became smitten as a small boy in New Zealand when my father lashed out and spent two bob (20c) on a copy of Banjo Patterson's Man from Snowy River and other Verses" at the local school fete. It was right up my alley as my life has revolved around the sorts of things The Banjo wrote about. I've still got that book and it has done a lot of miles in swags and saddle bags.
For the last three years, I have been a full time poet and I am also working on an historical book about Australia's Frontier Days which is due for release in 2004. Many people find it hard to believe there is a living in bush poetry. You are certainly not going to get rich at it, but money has never been much of a motivator to me. My wife and I are in the happy position of being debt free with our five children all in the workforce. We own our small property and do not need a lot to live on.
We find the income generated from product sales and performances is sufficient for our needs and we also have time to indulge our love of writing - poetry and short stories as well as my current book on my part, and family history and genealogy for Stellamary.
The secret to sales is performing and air time. I always have product with me prominently displayed and usually make sales after the performance. People enjoy talking to the poet and if they buy they can have their book or C.D. autographed. If a Radio Station is playing my work I always let the desk know it is OK to give my contact details out as well as retail outlets in the area.
Being 'picked up' by a publishing house is a big help as well as most book stores are reluctant to take self-published work unless by local authors. My only other tip towards making a living out of poetry is work hard at marketing yourself and never miss a chance for publicity. Many creative people seem to sit around waiting to be discovered. It ain't gunna happen, so you have to get out there and make it work.
All told, Bush Poetry in Australia is going ahead in leaps and bounds. The young people coming into the scene are ensuring that the future is in good hands and, from my point of view, I am thrilled to be part of it and am very thankful that I can earn a living doing something I have a passion for.
About the Writer Jack Drake
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National recognition came in 2001 when Jack Drake won the Australian Bush Poet of the Year Quest run by Asthma N.S.W. and the Womens Weekly magazine. Jack's two C.D.s The Cattle Dog's Revenge and Dinkum Poetry have both gained nominations for the Australian Bush Laureate Awards and after self publishing four books, he was picked up by Central Queensland University Press. His first professionally published book of Ballads and Yards The Cattle Dog's Revenge was released in July 2003 and is in its second printing. A second National award was won in 2004 with the book The Cattle Dog's Revenge earning a Golden Gum Leaf Trophy from the Australian Bush Laureate Awards for the best book of original verse, at the 2004 Tamworth Country Music Festival. He is a regular performer at festivals in QLD and NSW. He has also performed at Tamworth Country Music Week. As part of the "Sex, Lies and Bush Poetry" Show, Jack performs annually at the Tamworth Golf Club during the Tamworth Country Music Festival. His CDs have had airplay on Alan Jones, and John Laws, radio programs as well as ABC Radio National and a host of regional stations. |
[Above] Photo of Jack Drake by Stella Matheson Drake, 2001.
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Thylazine No.8 (September, 2003) |
