top of page
Image by Aaron Burden

WHAT IS BUSH POETRY? 

Bush Poetry is metered and rhymed poetry about Australia, Australians and/or the Australian way of life.
 

Bush Poetry originally began as a style of poem that incorporated elements of folk music and explored life in the Australian bush. Poets such as Banjo Patterson, Henry Lawson and Dorothea Mackellar were famous for this original style.

BUSH POETRY AT ITS BEST

Below are a variety of bush poems from our club and beyond that will give you a sense of what bush poetry is all about.

Last Year On Our Holiday - Bill Gordon

Which Knickers - Bev Shorland

Election Speech - Keith Lethbridge (Cobber)

The Floater - Marco Gliori

BUSH POETRY FROM MEMBERS

2 min read

The Bough Shed

When I was gazing at a photograph of an old bough shed, a vivid flash of memories went rushing through my head, With warm waves of...

2 min read

The Esperance Tanker Jetty

Remove our tanker jetty? Not on your flamin’ life. If you attempt to do so it will cause a lot of strife. You will meet resistance like...

2 min read

The Price of Water

“Two dollars a litre for water says I. I thought water was free as it fell from the sky”. “That’s much dearer than petrol or diesel”, I...

2 min read

The Circle of Life

So gentle is the hand that guides the mother she holds dear, both glad to see that now at last their journeys end is near. They pause as...

2 min read

Remember Mate --

Remember now those days of gold, the frosty nights, the bitter cold; a roaring fire to beat the chill; the old bush camp near Tin Dog...

2 min read

Reflections

AS I SIT WITH THOUGHTS I CAN’T ERASE, MY MIND GOES BACK TO EARLIER DAYS WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND KNEW NO FEAR AND NEVER THOUGHT TO SHED A...

2 min read

Poetry or Prose

I come from a long tradition of bush poets from the west You may think that we’re old foggies and we’re maybe past our best But Henry and...

1 min read

Foxes and Ferals

‘Friends, Aussies, Country Folk – Lend me an ear!’ My letter is urgent; my message is clear, I speak of the ferals that shouldn’t be here.

1 min read

Ghost Town of Big Bell

An hotel reared its lofty head Beside a lilac. No patrons now it could be said, Not since way back. The walls are dusty brown, Once were...

1 min read

Christmas Lights at Mandurah

With great excitement, we boarded the bus. There really were quite a lot of us. Some were rather long in the tooth, Whilst others held...

1 min read

The Galah Session

There's a housewife off the beaten track Who rises before the sun has dawned.  It is summer in the dry outback, Her work is done in the...

1 min read

Coodardy

"I want me beer!" Yelled the cook. ˜Can't you hear? By George, you could write a book About the things that happened On Coodardy. The...

1 min read

The Turkey (Stuffed)

'Twas Xmas day and all was still, the clan had gathered for their fill having opened presents one and all, their stomachs beckoned to the...

2 min read

Spirit of Australia

It went droving with Clancy out there on the Overflow. Out in the desert with Lasseter where white men seldom go. It opened up the...

2 min read

The Good Life Or Changing Places

By gee you have a good life people say to me, Living in the bush and seeing the things you see. Well yeah, I suppose I got a good life,...

1 min read

End of The Trail

Life is a long, long journey; A challenge in so many ways. For all the great joy of being alive,  There are bound to be difficult days. ...

1 min read

Sardines

A culinary tour-de-force,  Is sardines and tomato sauce, And once upon a time I was fan.  In point of fact I thought it wise  To stock...

2 min read

Ghosts in an Old House

The old house looked pathetic as it crouched upon the hill No sign of habitation, it was dozing, quiet and still The grey stone walls...

bottom of page