Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson - (17 February 1864 - 5 February 1941) - Australian Poet, Writer & Journalist
Introduction:
Banjo Paterson was an Australian bush poet,
journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian
life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the
district around Binalong, New South Wales where he spent much of his
childhood. Paterson's more notable poems include "Waltzing Matilda", "The
Man from Snowy River" and "Clancy of the Overflow".
At 21 Paterson had his poetry published in "The
Bulletin" under the pseudonym of "The Banjo" - the name of a family
favourite horse.
See - Statue: Memorial to Banjo Paterson in Orange, NSW.
Education:
Paterson was taught by a governess until he was old enough to ride a horse and get to a bush school at Binalong (near Yass, NSW).
When he was 10, he was sent to Sydney Grammar School where he as a good student and sportsman. He matriculated (finished school) when he was 16. "After failing a University of Sydney scholarship examination, Paterson served the customary articles of clerkship with Herbert Salwey and was admitted as a solicitor on 28 August 1886; for ten years from about 1889 he practised in partnership with John William Street." (Source: Australian Dictionary of Biography: Banjo Paterson)
At 22, he was a qualified solicitor.
Opportunities
&
Employment:
Paterson became a journalist, lawyer, jockey, soldier and a farmer!
Paterson
was a war correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age during the
Second Boer War.
He was also a correspondent during the Boxer Rebellion (in China).
He was editor of the Sydney Evening News (1904 - 06) and the Town and
Country Journal (1907 - 08).
After 1908, he took up writing full time at a property near Yass.
In World War 1 (1914 - 1918), he became an ambulance driver with the
Australian Voluntary Hospital, Wimereux, France. Paterson was an honourary
vet travelling on three voyages with horses to Africa, China and Egypt in
1915.
He was commissioned as a soldier in 1915 in the Australian Imperial Force
(AIF) serving in France. He was wounded and reported missing in July 1916.
He also served as a commanding officer in Cairo, Egypt. He was sent home to
Australia and discharged from the army in April 1919 after rising to the
rank of Major.
Paterson continued to write for the weekly "Truth" and on rugby league
football in the 1920s for the Sydney Sportsman.
Training:
Paterson received his training - "On the Job".
Links:
Australian Dictionary
of Biography: Banjo Paterson
Wikipedia: Banjo
Paterson
National Library of Australia: Waltzing Matilda
National Library of Australia: The Man from Snowy River
Banjo Paterson: A Biography
The Top 20 Greatest Banjo Paterson Poems of All Time
e-Book: The Man from Snowy River
e-Book: The Old Bush Songs by A.B. Paterson
e-Book: Outback Marriage: a story of Australian Life by A.B. Paterson
e-Book: Rio Grande's Last Race & Other Verses by A.B. Paterson
e-Book: Saltbush Bill, J.P. by A.B. Paterson
e-Book: Three Elephant Power & Other Stories by A.B. Paterson
Did You Know? In 1890, Paterson wrote the Man from Snowy River. In 1895 he had a collection of his work published under this name. This book is the most sold collection of Australian Bush poetry and is still being reprinted today. In his lifetime, Paterson was second only to Rudyard Kipling in popularity among living poets writing in English. Paterson was a keen polo player and also rode as an amateur rider at Randwick and Rosehill Race Courses. Paterson wrote 'Waltzing Matilda' which was to become Australia's best-known folk song A.B. Paterson was depicted on the Australian $10 note and also on a 1968 Australian Stamp |
Material sourced from:
Australian Dictionary
of Biography: Banjo Paterson
Wikipedia: Banjo
Paterson
