About this objectAndrew Barton Paterson was born at Narrambla homestead near Orange on 17 February 1864. He grew up at Buckinbah Station near Yeoval and entered Sydney Grammar School in 1875. During this time he lived with his widowed grandmother, poet Emily Barton, who fostered his love of literature.
Later Paterson studied law and began writing verse. His first poem - El Mahdi to the Australian Troops - was published in the Bulletin in February 1885. His poetry also appeared in the Sydney Mail, often under the pseudonyms 'B' and 'The Banjo', the name of a racehorse owned by his family.
During the Second Boer War he worked as a war correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Argus. He worked as a journalist in China during 1901, returning to Australia the following year. In 1903 he married Alice Emily Walker from Tenterfield.
Unable to secure work as a war correspondent in WWI Paterson drove ambulances for the Australian Voluntary Hospital in Wimereux, France. In October 1915 he was commissioned as a captain in the 2nd Remount Unit in Egypt and in April 1919 was promoted to the rank of major.
Following the war Paterson returned to journalism, until 1930, when he decided to pursue creative writing full time. In later years he became a radio broadcaster with the ABC, reporting on his travels and experiences.
In 1939 Paterson was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of his contribution to literature. When ‘Banjo’ Paterson died in Sydney on 5 February 1941 Australia lost not only a celebrated writer, but also a respected solicitor, a proficient horseman and a proud soldier.
