AUSTRALIA: Banjo Paterson:

To atone for our neglect of Australia, we are happy to post John Gehl's bio of the Australian icon Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson (1864-1941), who composed the internationally famous ballad, "Waltzing Matilda," which by popular acclaim became Australia's informal anthem. Paterson first achieved popular success as a writer in 1895 when he published The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, which sold out its first edition within a week and went through four editions in six months, making Paterson second only to Rudyard Kipling in popularity among living poets writing in English. Paterson became the premier folk poet of Australia, having produced a body of work that included seven volumes of poetry and prose, a children's book about animals, in addition to his journalistic writings. His poetry continues to sell well today and the recent popular film, "The Man from Snowy River," has rekindled interest in his many engaging ballads about Australia and its people. Banjo Paterson was born in Narrambla, near Orange, New South Wales, Australia. He was called Barty by his family, but acquired the nickname Banjo (the name of his favorite horse) because he used that pseudonym to conceal his identity as a solicitor when he published his early verse in Sydney's newspapers. Paterson's parents were graziers in the Yass district of the Australian bush. He received his early education at home and at the Sydney Grammar School. When he turned 16, he was apprenticed as a clerk to a Sydney legal firm for training as a solicitor. Admitted to the bar in 1886, he formed the legal partnership, Street and Paterson. While working as a solicitor, Paterson also made time to write verse, and int1895 with the publication of The Man from Snowy River his unexpected literary celebrity caused him to lose interest in continuing his legal career. In 1899 Paterson accepted an assignment as a special war correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald to cover the Boer War in South Africa, later traveling on assignment to China and the Philippines. Before returning to Sydney in 1902, Paterson also visited London at the invitation of Rudyard Kipling. Back in Australia, he finally abandoned the law and took an editorial job with the Sydney Evening News, remaining in newspaper work until 1908 when he left to take up ranching. In 1903 he traveled to Tenterfield, New South Wales, where he met and later married Alice Walker. They had two children, Grace born in 1904 and Hugh in 1906. When World War I broke out, Paterson returned to newspaper work, traveling to Europe for the Sydney Morning Herald. Frustrated at not being able to reach the front, he volunteered to drive an ambulance for the Australian Voluntary Hospital in France. Later, returning to Australia he was commissioned a major in the Australian army's remount division to procure horses. After the war he returned to journalism and the writing of verse and prose. He retired from newspaper work in 1930, but continued his other writing until he died just short of his 77th birthday. See <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000062XG0/newsscancom/ref=nosim> for the DVD version of The Man From Snowy River.