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Will OgilviePrint Page Print this page

Detail: 15-March-2016
Detail: 15-March-2016

Photographs supplied by Diane Watson

The memorial commemorates poet Will Ogilvie who worked for several years on Belalie station.

He arrived in Australia in 1889 and during his two years on Belalie station he worked as a jackaroo, drover and second bookkeeper. Whilst on Belalie he found the inspiration for some of his best known Australian verse. General legend suggests that Will Ogilvie, met Harry `The Breaker` Morant somewhere in the back country during those early years when both were writing their first bush ballads.

Location

Address:Mitchell Street (Mitchell Highway) , Poets Corner, Central Park, Bourke, 2840
State:NSW
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -30.089231
Long: 145.939744
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Arts

Dedication

Front Inscription
(on Book Pages)

The hill road to Roberton
Ale Water at our feet,
And grey hills and blue hills
that melt away and meet,
With cotton-flowers that wave to us
and lone whaups that call,
And over all the Border mist –
the soft mist over all.

Let oil, nor steam, nor wings of dream deprive us of our own
The wide world for a kingdom and the saddle for a throne!

 

WILL H OGILVIE
1869    1963 

Left Side Inscription
WILL OGILVIE

The poet Will Ogilvie arrived in Australia in 1889. During his two years on "Belalie" Station he worked as a jackaroo, drover and bookkeeper. Whilst on "Belalie" he found the inspiration for some of his best known Australian verse. 

General legend suggests that Will Ogilvie first met Harry "Breaker" Morant somewhere in the "back country" during those early years when both were writing their bush ballads. 

Will Ogivie's poem "At the Back O'Bourke" 

" That's where the wildest floods have birth
Out of the nakedest ends of Earth
At the Back o'Bourke!

Where poor men lend and rich ones borrow
It's the bitterest land of sweet and sorrow
But if I were free I'd be off tomorrow
Out at the Back O'Bourke
Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au