Like many others, I was first introduced to bush poetry in school and developed a taste for it, which has stayed with me ever since. 

 

I grew up in Sydney, but worked as a geologist and later a geotechnical engineer in remote and sometimes very remote parts of Australia, up until my retirement in 2022. This introduced me to a range of unique characters, situations and locations, which often feature in my poetry.

 

I started writing and performing in the folk clubs in Southwest Western Australia in the early nineteen eighties and continued until their demise at the end of the decade. Performance opportunities became very scarce after that, however I continued to do the odd performance (eg. Australia days, Mumballup Tavern centenary, schools etc.). I Also managed to get some poetry read on ABC radio during the early two thousand’s.

 

Things really took off again after I joined the WA Bush Poets around 2011. By associating with some of the best writers and performers in Australia. I find I am writing and performing more now, than ever before (the retirement helps with both), and hopefully better now than ever before. I have subsequently performed as far afield as Queensland and NSW.

 

I perform a mixture of my own, and other people’s poetry and am happy to practice my art at any event. My preference is for humorous poetry, because there is no feeling quite like being able to make a whole hall full of people laugh and enjoy themselves.

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AWARDS: 

• 1st place – Limerick competition run by ‘The Compost Heap’ on ABC radio. 1993.

• 1st place – One minute poem competition. Qld state championships. 2014.

• 3rd place – WA Bush Poets state championships. 2022.

• 2nd place – WA Bush Poets state championships. 2023.

• 1st place – Poet’s brawl. WA Bush Poets state championships. 2023.

• 1st place (Tied) – Yarn spinning. WA Bush Poets state championships. 2023

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PERFORMANCE RANGE: I live near Noggerup WA, which is equidistant between Collie, Donnybrook and Boyup Brook in the Southwest of Western Australia.

 

I am prepared to travel up to 3 hours to perform (ie. As far as Perth or Albany) 

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