author
John O'Brien
1878–1952
Best known for warm, humorous verse about rural Australia, this priest-poet wrote under a pen name that became widely loved by readers. His poems capture everyday bush life with affection, wit, and a strong sense of place.
1 Audiobook
Around the Boree Log, and Other Verses
by John O'Brien
About the author
Writing as John O'Brien, Patrick Joseph Hartigan was an Australian Catholic priest, poet, and author, born in New South Wales in 1878 and remembered for bringing the voices and rhythms of country Australia into popular verse.
He is especially associated with Around the Boree Log and Other Verses (1921), a collection that helped make him a well-known literary figure. His work is often noted for its humor, its sympathy for ordinary people, and its vivid picture of rural communities.
Hartigan served for many years in the church while continuing to write, and he died in 1952. Today, he is still remembered as a distinctive Australian bush poet whose writing joined pastoral life, storytelling, and faith in a way that felt natural and approachable.