C. J. DennisPrint Page 
The bust mounted on a rock cairn commemorates poet C. J. Dennis who was born in 1876 and spent his early years in the town. Dennis remembered his time in Laura with affection.
The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke was published in mid-October 1915 after nine months the book had sold approximately 51,000 copies. Later this grew to 66,148 copies of the book sold in Australia and New Zealand alone and did not include the totals for any copies of the editions published in Britain, Canada or the USA.
The Bloke struck a nerve with Australian audiences and by September 1916 they had been dramatised for the stage, were performed in Sydney and Melbourne and were probably as popular as it was possible to be at that time. On 9th October 1916 Dennis published The Moods of Ginger Mick based on a character from The Sentimental Bloke which was to sell 42,349 copies within six months. Dennis had become, by sales and by general sentiment, the Laureate of the Larrikin, and the best-known poet in Australia.
Location
| Address: | Hughes Street, Civic Centre, Laura, 5480 |
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| State: | SA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.185661 Long: 138.299144 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Arts |
| Link: | http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonli… |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 18th May, 1980 |
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C. J. Dennis
Australian Poet 1876 - 1938
Who lived in Laura during his formative years
Erected by the Rocky River Historic and Art Society
May 18, 1980
