ABPA — The Australian Bush Poets Association Inc.

Welcome to the Australian Bush Poets Association

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 have come to the right place.

Aims
The objectives of the Australian Bush Poets Association are 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 its members through this website (and forum) and our bi-monthly magazine of bush poetry news, events, results of written and performance 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.

The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival (10th-13th April)

THE VICTORIAN BUSH POETRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

We are thrilled to announce that in 2025 the Victorian Bush Poetry Championships will again be included within the “Man from Snowy River Festival’s” programme of events. The Championships have not been held on consecutive years for quite some time and believe me they return “Bigger, better & brighter” than ever before in April 2025.

The 2025 Championships will be a “Landmark” event in the history of Australian Bush Poetry competitions with a record $8000 on offer. Yes, you read it right, $8000 in total prizemoney.

As well as the $4000 worth of prizemoney usually offered for the Written & Performance sections (+ the $1000 worth of trophies) this “Premier/Showcase” event will also offer (for the first time) 3 new Awards valued at $1000 each! These will be for the “Overall Written Champion”, the “Overall Performance Champion” and the “Overall Grand Champion” (best combined score over both the written & performance sections). Under this system it is quite possible that 1 single performer could win $4000 of the total $8000 of prizemoney on offer. W O W!

All the regular Performance Championship sections will be on offer in which competitors vie to show their skills over a range of subject matter including Classical, Modern, Original Serious & Original Comedy. (Males & Females are judged separately in these sections). There will also be Yarnspinning & Novice competitions. (Males & females judged together).

In honour of the great A.B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson, Friday nights competitions kick off with our ‘Man from Snowy River Recitation’ section where 3 x pre-selected poets grapple for the title of ‘Best Recitation’ of Banjo’s classic piece.

‘Walk-ups’. There’ll be ‘Walk-ups’ aplenty with 3 x Poet’s Breakfasts hosted by those rascals “The Rhymer from Ryde” & his sidekick Matthew Hollis. Never fear there’ll be time to sit back & relax as well with Kevin McCarthy & Simon Dillon hosting the ‘Singalong Campfire Sessions’ late into the night on ‘Banjo’s Block’.

Senior Judge & Assistant Poetry Events Manager Graeme Johnson will be joined by “Featured Poets” Gregory North, Geoffrey. W. Graham, The Rhymer from Ryde & Tim Sheed, who will also assist him on the various judging panels as well.

Due to time restrictions imposed by the festival programme a strict limit of 15 individual entries in each male & female division of each performance section will be imposed. It is the responsibility of each contestant to ensure that their entries are placed early to avoid disappointment. Entries close 28th February, 2025.

Entry forms and further information are available from the events page and Bush Festival website.

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Verse in the Valley Festival in Gloucester

NSW BUSH POETRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

The championships were held during GLOUCESTER’s inaugural ‘VERSE IN THE VALLEY FESTIVAL’ 5-8 March 2025.

The overall winner of the competition was David Stanley (first on the left above), who as the champion was selected to perform at the evening Bush Poetry event - Poetry in the Saleyards.

As the evening approached, the Saleyards started to fill up with people excited and eager to see and hear what the night would bring. Making her Poetry in the Saleyards debut, local musician Tink Everett kicked off the event, serenading the crowd with her guitar and songs. Next up were the Bowden Brothers Band who have been performing and supporting this event year after year, and are always crowd-pleasers.

The audience was then entertained by our favourite local poet, Claire Reynolds, who after winning the Yarn Spinning competition at the National Folk Festival in Canberra in 2015, became a Judge, and has discovered that sitting on the other side of the fence is a lot of fun.

Another brilliant performance by Paddy O’Brien with his Scottish / Irish heritage and a wee bit of Australian dingo set the crowd roaring with laughter, especially when he came out wearing his Scottish Kilt. Overall champion Dave Stanley also delighted the audience with his humorous recitals.

Our last guest poet, was Ray Essery, a seasoned Bush Poet with a touch of larrikin, who with his natural abilities as a storyteller, left the audience in stitches with tales from his years as a Dairy Farmer, Navy man and Sydney pub manager.

Throughout the performances, the air was constantly filled with laughter, cheers and applause, creating a vibrant, and exhilarating atmosphere. As the evening wound down, each poet recited their last poem or story and the Bowden Brothers played their final song.

All in all, it was a truly amazing and memorable evening for all who attended, with the audience comprised of many returning regulars along with some first time attendees who enjoyed it so much that they promised to return again next year.

The evening topped off what has been a most enjoyable and very successful week of performances, competition and entertainment for the inaugural ‘Verse in The Valley’ event and we look forward to hosting it for many years to come.

See full results and report here.

Past Magazines now online

The historic magazines of the ABPA from its inception in 1994 are now available here. See how we used to look!

See previously featured poets.

See previously featured achievers.