Contact details here

President's Report Feb.-March

Welcome everyone to the new year, that hopefully, with the rollout of the vaccine, will be very different to 2020. As a nation we have paid a small price for the lockdowns, compared to those countries that didn’t react in a timely
way.

As mentioned in previous reports, 2020 was a terrible year for live performance entertainment of all kinds and our group of professional poets and storytellers suffered along with the rest. I urge all our members to get out and support and promote live shows as and when they start up again.

Further to previous reports, the organization has had a very successful year membership wise with members numbers almost doubling due to hard work by our Treasurer.

The AGM was held on the twentieth of January via Zoom and all office bearers have been returned, which is a good thing for the stability of the organization. I thank the committee for their diligence and support during the past year.

The new committee are as follows:
President,Tim Sheed
Vice President, Ray Essery
Secretary, Meg Gordon
Treasurer, Christine Middleton
Committee Members, Tom McIlveen and Manfred Vijars
State Representatives,
NSW, Bill Kearns
Victoria, Jan Lewis
Queensland, Peter Frazer
Western Australia, Irene Conor

Last year was a good one for the organization and it was a pleasure to be part of. I look forward with eager anticipation to an even better 2021.

Timothy Sheed
President

WELCOME, membership of the Australian Bush Poets Association (ABPA) is comprised of writers, performers and individuals who are interested in bush poetry and enjoy written and live stories in rhyme and metre. If you have an interest in this piece of Australian culture called Bush Poetry, you are welcome here.

Aims
The objectives of the Australian Bush Poets Association is to foster and encourage the growth of Bush Poetry in Australia. By definition, Australian Bush Poetry is metred and rhymed poetry about Australia, Australians and/or the Australian way of life.

Membership
To join the Australian Bush Poets Association and receive our bi-monthly magazine, go to our Membership page.

The ABPA keeps in touch with our members through this website (and forum) and our bi-monthly magazine of Bush Poetry news, events, results of written and spoken competitions as well as samples of contemporary bush poetry. Many members have books, CDs and other products. These can be advertised in the magazine. For rates, click here. The deadline for ads and other content for the magazine is the 22nd of the month preceding publication. Magazines are published at the beginning of February, April, June, August, October and December.

Check out our Facebook page.
 

WA State Championships - Toodyay

Toodyay hosted the WA Bush Poetry Championships from Friday 30th November to Sunday 1st November. Results here.


WA State Championship winners in Original Humorous section: Rob Gunn and Roger Cracknell (equal third), Greg Joass (second) and Winner John Hayes with President Bill Gordon.


Toodyay Shire CEO Rosemary Madasci presented awards in Original Serious section to Christine Boult (third), John Hayes (second) and Roger Cracknell (Winner) with President Bill Gordon.


Former President of Toodyay Festivals Andrew McCann presented awards in Yarnspinning section to Bill Gordon (equal second), Peter Rudolph (Winner) and Arthur Leggett (equal second).


Toodyay Shire CEO Rosemary Madasci presented awards to WA State Champions John Hayes (Winner), Roger Cracknell (runner-up) and Christine Boult (third).


MC Meg Gordon (left) with WA Silver Quill Written Verse Competition winners in Original Humorous section Terry Piggott and Cobber Lethbridge (equal first) and President Bill Gordon. Results here.


Entertainment for Saturday night at Toodyay WA State Championships Terry Bennetts (left) and Cobber Lethbridge.

See previously featured poets.

See previously featured achievers.

Enter a Written Competition

With restrictions in place affecting festivals and events, the best way to participate in the world of bush poetry is to keep writing. The best way to improve your writing is to keep doing it and to edit, edit, edit. To see how your writing is going, the best way is to enter a competition.

They're listed in red on the Events & Results page.