Country Campfire wouldn’t exist without the poets, musicians, photographers, storytellers and contributors who have shared their time, talent and stories over the years. This page recognises some of the legends helping keep the campfire burning.
Want to learn why this project exists?
→ The Country Campfire Legends Project
Latest Country Campfire Legends
Meet the newest people to join the Country Campfire Legends — contributors helping preserve and share the stories, culture and character of country Australia.
Jai Thoolen
Poet • Children’s Author • Publisher • Performer
Standing six foot seven with a great beard, quick wit and a mind that rarely stops rhyming, Jai Thoolen is hard to forget. From Rosebud on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, he writes bush verse, comic rhymes, tongue-twisting wordplay and children’s stories—all delivered with the warmth, imagination and wonderfully unexpected humour that make his work unmistakably his own.
Geoff Bagman
Bush Poet • Poetry Reciter • Entertainer • Professional Fool
Geoff Bagman is a Queensland bush poet, poetry reciter and self-described professional fool from Banana. His work mixes storytelling with self-deprecating humour, dad jokes, ham acting and good-natured mischief. His Country Campfire collection begins with Old Scar and will grow as more of his poems and performances are shared.
Ranger Nick
Bush Cook • Camp Oven Specialist • Entertainer • Storyteller • Bush Poet
Ranger Nick is a multi-award-winning bush cook, camp oven specialist, entertainer and storyteller raised in South West Queensland. A Guinness World Record holder and lifelong advocate for Australian bush cooking, he blends practical knowledge, native flavours, humour, yarns and poetry in demonstrations across Australia.
Tony Hammill
Award-Winning Bush Poet • Australian History Writer • Researcher • Retired Teacher
Tony Hammill is an award-winning bush poet and Australian history writer whose research explores folklore, historical figures and the stories behind Australian legends.
Narelle Stoll
Bush Poet • ABPA Member • CWA NSW Virtual Member
Narelle Stoll is an Australian bush poet raised on a farm at Culcairn in southern New South Wales. An ABPA member and CWA NSW virtual member, her interest in poetry grew through the Illawarra Folk Festival and competitions at Corryong. She is now returning to writing and sharing her work.
Country Campfire Legends A–Z
Browse the Country Campfire Legends, listed alphabetically by surname.
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z
B
Geoff Bagman
Bush Poet • Poetry Reciter • Entertainer • Professional Fool
Geoff Bagman is a Queensland bush poet, poetry reciter and self-described professional fool from Banana. His work mixes storytelling with self-deprecating humour, dad jokes, ham acting and good-natured mischief. His Country Campfire collection begins with Old Scar and will grow as more of his poems and performances are shared.
Rob Baldinger
Author • Bush Poet • Storyteller • Outdoorsman
Rob Baldinger, also known as The Venison Diplomat, is an author, bush poet and outdoorsman whose books, poems and stories explore wild food, hunting, family, outdoor life and the relationship between people and the natural world.
Gary & Christine Barten
Travellers • Campers • Campground Contributors
Gary and Christine Barten are Australian travellers whose love of remote camping, country towns and the road less travelled has helped showcase some of Australia’s hidden campground gems through The Campground Project.
Ron Boughton
Bush Poet • Reciter • Retired Bricklayer • Motorcyclist
Ron Boughton is a Blue Mountains bush poet and reciter whose life has been shaped by family, more than 50 years in bricklaying and many years exploring Australia by motorcycle. He enjoys capturing the character of bush life through rhyme and metre while continuing to discover the history of country towns.
C
James Cayce
Bush Poet • Humourist • Storyteller • Parody Writer
James Cayce is the pen name of Zbigniew “Zig” Ignaszak, a bush poet and storyteller whose work blends humour, parody, memory, gratitude and Australian country verse.
D
David J Delaney
Bush Poet • Writer • Storyteller
David J Delaney is an Australian bush poet and writer whose poems draw on a lifetime of work, travel, family, road memories, outback places and the people he has known along the way. His poems are preserved through Country Campfire as part of the Keeping The Verse Alive project.
Billy Dettmer
Bush Poet • Singer-Songwriter • Storyteller
Billy Dettmer is an Australian bush poet, singer-songwriter and storyteller whose work spans more than four decades. From award-winning bush poetry and original music to the Frankston Guitar Festival and a career as a paramedic, Billy has spent a lifetime sharing Australian stories through words and song.
E
Ben Eggleton
Bush Poet • Songwriter • Storyteller
A passionate storyteller of rural Australia, Ben Eggleton has shared original poetry and music through recordings, performances and published works. Known as The Bard From The Scrub, his work helps preserve the people, places and traditions that shape country life.
F
Peter Flanagan
Bush Poet • Storyteller • Contractor • Shotfirer • Butcher
Peter Flanagan is a bush poet and storyteller whose work draws on contract work, mining rosters, road miles, station work, fencing, mustering, butchering and the pull of home. His poems and recitals help preserve the working life, humour and heart of Australian country culture.
H
Tony Hammill
Award-Winning Bush Poet • Australian History Writer • Researcher • Retired Teacher
Tony Hammill is an award-winning bush poet and Australian history writer whose research explores folklore, historical figures and the stories behind Australian legends.
L
Corin Linch
Bush Poet • Storyteller • Head Stockman
Corin Linch draws on his years as a head stockman in the Kimberley to tell authentic Australian stories through bush poetry. His performances and recitals celebrate the people, landscapes and characters of outback Australia while helping preserve traditional bush verse for future generations.
M
Neil McArthur
Bush Poet • Yarnspinner • Performer • MC • ABPA Magazine Editor
Known as The Ratbag of Rhyme, Neil McArthur is an Australian bush poet, yarnspinner and festival MC with more than 30 years on stage. Alongside performing at major festivals and country gatherings, Neil has served for many years as editor of the Australian Bush Poets Association Magazine.
Phil McManus
Bush Poetry Performer • Henry Lawson Reciter • Storyteller
A passionate supporter of Australian bush poetry, Phil McManus has shared classic bush verse through performances, festivals and community events, helping keep the stories of the Australian bush alive for new generations.
P
Bob Pacey
Bush Poet • Performer • Storyteller
One of Queensland’s best-known bush poets, Bob Pacey has entertained audiences across Australia with humour, storytelling and more than 120 poems committed to memory.
Peter Pentland
Bush Poet • Folk Performer • Storyteller • Comedian • Broadcaster
Peter Pentland, known on stage as Hayseed, performs traditional-style songs and bush poetry rooted in farm and bush life across South-Eastern Australia. His long career has taken him through folk festivals, stand-up comedy, radio and television, while his stories and recordings keep rural Australian characters and humour alive.
R
Ranger Nick
Bush Cook • Camp Oven Specialist • Entertainer • Storyteller • Bush Poet
Ranger Nick is a multi-award-winning bush cook, camp oven specialist, entertainer and storyteller raised in South West Queensland. A Guinness World Record holder and lifelong advocate for Australian bush cooking, he blends practical knowledge, native flavours, humour, yarns and poetry in demonstrations across Australia.
Dick Roberts
Bush Poet • Author • Songwriter
Dick Roberts is an Australian bush poet, author and songwriter whose work celebrates the High Country, horses and the people of rural Australia. Alongside publishing his poetry in print, Dick has also begun adapting many of his poems into songs, helping bring Australian bush verse to a new audience while continuing to preserve the stories and traditions of the bush.
T
Jai Thoolen
Poet • Children’s Author • Publisher • Performer
Standing six foot seven with a great beard, quick wit and a mind that rarely stops rhyming, Jai Thoolen is hard to forget. From Rosebud on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, he writes bush verse, comic rhymes, tongue-twisting wordplay and children’s stories—all delivered with the warmth, imagination and wonderfully unexpected humour that make his work unmistakably his own.
V
Manfred Vijars
Bush Poet • Performer • Songwriter • Mentor
Manfred Vijars is a Queensland bush poet, performer and award-winning songwriter whose work connects traditional verse with Australian country music. A former ABPA president, North Pine Bush Poets leader and experienced workshop presenter, he has earned three Golden Guitars for songwriting and recorded both original work and a 34-track tribute to Henry Lawson.
W
The Wannabe Bush Poet
Larrikin • Observer • Storyteller
The Wannabe Bush Poet is an anonymous Australian writer whose poems capture everyday country life with humour, honesty and sharp observation. Shared through Country Campfire’s Keeping The Verse Alive project, these poems preserve stories that might otherwise have been lost.