author
Oliver Hogue
1880–1919
Best known by the pen name “Trooper Bluegum,” this Australian writer brought wit, energy, and a reporter’s eye to both journalism and war writing. His work captures the swagger, hardship, and dark humor of the First World War from someone who lived it firsthand.
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About the author
Born in Sydney on April 29, 1880, Oliver Hogue was an Australian journalist, poet, and soldier. He worked for The Sydney Morning Herald and became widely known for writing under the name “Trooper Bluegum,” a voice that mixed bush humor with sharp observation.
Hogue served in the Boer War and later in the First World War, where his experiences deeply shaped his writing. He is especially remembered for The Sentimental Bloke in Khaki and The Horses Stay Behind, as well as for lively war reporting that helped define how many readers imagined the Australian soldier.
He died in London on March 3, 1919, not long after the war ended. Though his life was short, his poems and prose remain a vivid record of Australia’s wartime character and the emotional cost behind the legend.