author
John O'Brien
1878–1952
Best known for warm, witty verse about rural Australian life, this priest-poet wrote under the pen name John O'Brien. His poems, including the much-loved Around the Boree Log, helped make bush poetry popular with generations of readers.
1 Audiobook
Around the Boree Log, and Other Verses
by John O'Brien
About the author
Born Patrick Joseph Hartigan in Yass, New South Wales, in 1878, he became a Roman Catholic priest and later wrote under the name John O'Brien. Alongside his work in the Church and in Catholic education, he built a wide readership through poems that drew on the voices, humor, and hardships of country Australia.
His best-known collection, Around the Boree Log and Other Verses, was published in 1921 and became especially popular for its lively picture of bush life. Readers have also remembered him for poems such as Said Hanrahan, which captured the rhythms of drought, flood, and everyday talk with affection and wit.
He remained closely associated with regional New South Wales for much of his life, serving as parish priest in Narrandera before retiring. He died in 1952, and his work continues to be valued as a friendly, memorable part of Australian literary and cultural history.