A.B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson’s Life Story

Andrew Barton Paterson was born on the 17th February 1864 at Narambla, near Orange in New South Wales. His father Andrew Paterson was a lowland Scot, whose family before him for generations had been farmers in Lanarkshire. Banjo Paterson spent his early years at a station called "Buckenbah" at Obley, near Yeoval in the western district of New South Wales, on an unfenced block of dingo infested country leased by his father and uncle at a few pence an acre.

When he was five, the family moved to Illalong, a day’s ride from Lambing Flat diggings. There were seven children in the Paterson family: Andrew Barton ("Banjo"), Hamilton, Florence, Jessie, Edith, Grace and Gwen.

The station at Illalong was then on the main route between Sydney and Melbourne, so the exciting traffic of horsemen, bullock teams, drovers and Cobb & Co coaches became a familiar sight for Banjo. Even more exciting to Banjo was that the gold diggings at Lambing Flat were only a day's ride away, and that the gold escort came past twice a week with an armed trooper, rifle at the ready, riding in front and another on the box with the coachman. These scenes, especially the bullockies and their teams fasci

In 1895, at the age of 31, Andrew Barton Paterson achieved two milestones in Australian writing. He composed his now famous ballad 'Waltzing Matilda' and his first book, The Man from Snowy River, and other poems, was published by Angus & Robertson, marking the beginning of an era in Australian publishing. This hallmark publication sold out its first edition within a week and went through four editions in six months, making Paterson second only to Kipling in popularity among living poets writing in English. His poetry continues to sell well today and is available in many editions, some of which are illustrated.

In Australia again he returned to journalism, retiring in 1930. He was created CBE in 1939. At the time of his death on 6 February 1941 his reputation as the principal folk poet of Australia was secure. His body of work included seven volumes of poetry and prose in many editions, a collection The Collected Verse of A.B. Paterson (1923), a book for children The Animals Noah Forgot (1933), and an anthology The Old Bush Songs (1905), in addition to his many pieces of journalism and reportage.

During World War I Paterson sailed to Europe hoping for an appointment as war correspondent. Instead, during the course of the war he was attached as an ambulance driver to the Australian Voluntary Hospital in France and was commissioned to the 2nd Remount Unit of the AIF. He was eventually promoted to Major.

Many adventures and international travel covered the period 1901-02 as Banjo turned his attention to the East and especially to China, where the Boxer War offered him further opportunities as a war correspondent. He arrived back in Sydney in April 1902 and in the latter months of 1902, during a visit to the New South Wales to

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