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Charles Harpur Print Page Print this page

March-2003
March-2003

Photographs supplied by Ian Bevege

The bicentennial plaques commemorate Charles Harpur (1813 - 1868) who was born in Windsor, New South Wales in 1813, who is regarded as an important colonial poet.  The grave was also restored as a Bicentennial Project. 

In 1858 he was appointed Gold Commissioner for Araluen and Braidwood. He bought a farm of 500 acres at Eurobodalla and commuted. His appointment as Gold Commissioner coming to an end in 1866, Harpur returned to Eurobodalla full-time and tried his hand at farming again. He was hard-pressed for money and disastrous floods made matters worse. In 1867 his son was killed. This was a terrible shock to him, one from which he did not recover. In June 1868, Charles Harpur died, leaving his widow and remaining children an unemcumbered farm, a well-furnished home and no debts. He was buried on the `Euroma` property next to his son.

His works are a celebration of the Australian landscape and provide important insights into contemporary attitudes towards national identity, Aborigines, women, education, religion, and love. 

Location

Address:Nerrigundah Mountain & Eurobodalla Roads, Eurobodalla, 2545
State:NSW
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -36.139122
Long: 149.981022
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Arts
Link:http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonli…

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:1988
Front Inscription

Plaque :

Australia
1788 -1988

Charles Harpur
1813 - 1868
Australia’s first native born poet

‘With her green forest round me, above her blue sky,
I lap in thy measures some national dream
And I find that our songs, though un studies, are high,
When the glory of Future Australia’s the theme...’
                         from ‘To the Lyre of Australia’

Plaque :

Australia
1788 - 1988

Charles Harpur grave restoration

A project funded by the Local Government Bicentennial Initiatives Grants Program.

Source: MA, ACPH, ADB
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au