Bruce Dawe
Bruce Dawe was a prominent Australian poet, born on February 15, 1930, in Geelong, Victoria. His early education was interrupted by various jobs, but he eventually pursued higher education, earning multiple degrees, including a PhD from the University of Queensland. Dawe served in the Royal Australian Air Force from 1959 until 1968, during which he began publishing poetry that addressed modern Australian life and consumer culture, marking a departure from traditional themes in Australian poetry. His first collection, *No Fixed Address: Poems*, released in 1962, showcased his pioneering voice.
Throughout his career, Dawe was known for his social commentary and exploration of personal and familial themes, producing significant works like *A Need of Similar Name* and *An Eye for a Tooth*. He received numerous accolades for his contributions to literature, including the Order of Australia and various literary awards. Dawe continued to create poetry into the twenty-first century, with notable collections such as *Towards a War* and *Border Security*. He passed away in April 2020, leaving behind a legacy as one of Australia's most influential poets.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Bruce Dawe
- Born: February 15, 1930
- Birthplace: Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Died: April 1, 2020
- Place of death: Caloundra, Australia
Biography
Bruce Dawe was born February 15, 1930, in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, to Alfred and Mary Anne (Hamilton) Dawe. (Some sources instead list Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, as his birthplace.) His three older siblings were more than twenty years his senior. In 1935 he began his education, attending various elementary schools and high schools. In 1945, he received his Victorian Intermediate Certificate, left school, and worked odd jobs.
In 1953, Dawe returned to school and received a scholarship to the University of Melbourne. More interested in writing than schoolwork, however, he flunked out and returned to working miscellaneous jobs. Dawe returned to school and received his BA in 1968 from the University of Queensland, his Bachelor of Letters from the University of New England, in New South Wales, in 1973, his Master of Arts from the University of Queensland in 1974, and his PhD in 1980 from the University of Queensland.
In 1959 Dawe enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and in 1963 transferred to Toowoomba, Queensland, where he met and married Gloria Blain in 1964. The couple had four children; Brian, Jamie and Katrina (twins), and Melissa. In 1966, Dawe was transferred to the library Headquarters Support Command in Melbourne. By 1968, Dawe completed his service in the RAAF and facing few employment opportunities, relocated to Toowoomba, where he taught at Downlands College Catholic High School. In 1980, Dawe became a senior lecturer in literature at the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education, followed by a senior lecturing position in the school of arts at the University of South Queensland in 1985.
As a teenager, Dawe published his poetry in magazines. In various university publications, he published many articles, poems, and short stories that championed the underdog. In 1962, Dawe’s first collection of poems, No Fixed Address: Poems, was published while serving in the air force. The collection was revolutionary, depicting Australian urbanity, mass culture and consumerism, rather than the romantic outback and bush people quintessential to Australian poetry to that time. Immersed in family life, Dawe’s next collection, A Need of Similar Name, highlighted married life and fatherhood. An Eye for a Tooth and Beyond the Subdivisions focused on personal issues, reflecting the troubles Dawe was experiencing at the time, and questioned life and poetry. Above all, he became known for his social commentary and protest themes, able to tackle virtually every aspect of Australian life.
Dawe’s innovative contributions and inspiration to Australian literature were widely recognized as important achievements. He earned numerous awards, including the Myer Award for Poetry, 1966 and 1969; the Ampol Arts Award for Creative Literature, 1967; Dame Mary Gilmore Medal, 1973; the Grace Leven Poetry Prize, 1978; Braille Book of the Year, 1979; the Patrick White Literary Award, 1980; and the Christopher Bremmer award, 1984. Dawe was awarded the Order of Australia in 1992 for his commitment to literature and was made an honorary professor by the University of South Queensland upon his retirement in 1993. The Australian government presented him with the Centenary Medal in 2001.
Dawe continued writing into the twenty-first century, with collections such as Towards a War: Twelve Reflections (2003) and Border Security (2016). By the time he died in April 2020, at age ninety, he was widely considered one of the best-known and influential poets in Australian history.
Bibliography
Brophy, Kevin John. "Vale Bruce Dawe, Australia's 'Poet of Suburbia.'" The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2020, theconversation.com/vale-bruce-dawe-australias-poet-of-suburbia-135438. Accessed 23 Nov. 2020.
"Bruce Dawe." Australian Biography, Screen Australia Digital Learning, www.australianbiography.gov.au/subjects/dawe/bio.html. Accessed 23 Nov. 2020.
"Bruce Dawe." University of Southern Queensland, 2020, www.usq.edu.au/study/faculty-events/2018/02/bruce-dawe-poetry-prize/about. Accessed 23 Nov. 2020.
Carmody, Broede. "'Our Protest Poet': Tributes Flow for Bruce Dawe." The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 Apr. 2020, www.smh.com.au/culture/books/our-protest-poet-tributes-flow-for-bruce-dawe-20200403-p54gpj.html. Accessed 23 Nov. 2020.