Andrew Barton Paterson CBE (1864 - 1941)

Born 17 Feb 1864 in Orange, New South Wales (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Alice Emily (Walker) Paterson — married 8 Apr 1903 in Tenterfield Station, New South Wales, Australia

Died 5 Feb 1941 at age 76 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Australia Project WikiTree [send private message]

Banjo Paterson CBE is managed by the Australia Project. Join: Australia Project Discuss: australia

Andrew Barton Paterson CBE was an Australian bush poet who was better known as Banjo. He was an author, journalist, war correspondent, horseman, jockey, farmer, and soldier. The ballads and poems he wrote were always about Australian life and the bush. Some of Banjo Paterson's poems include^[1] Waltzing Matilda, The Man from Snowy River and Clancy of the Overflow.

Biography

Banjo Paterson CBE is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Banjo Paterson CBE is Notable.

Andrew Barton Paterson was^[2] born in 1864 on his family property Narrambla, near the small country town of Orange, New South Wales.^[3] There is no doubt that this is where his love for the Australian bush first started. His parents were Andrew Bogle Paterson, who had immigrated from Lanarkshire, Scotland and Rose Isabella Barton. His mother was related to the future first Prime Minister of Australia Edmund Barton.

The Paterson family lived on^[4] Buckinbah Station near Yeoval, NSW until Andrew Sr. took over the farm in Illalong, near Yass, when his brother died. The farm was close to the dusty road between Melbourne and Sydney. For Banjo, the sights he saw every day fueled his imagination; the gold escorts on the way to the banks, the Cobb and Co. coaches taking passengers to far away places like Melbourne and Sydney, drovers with their cattle, Swagman boiling the billy for tea at a bush camp, bushrangers passing through, bullock teams that carried food and supplies to the remote country areas, and the horsemen from theMurrumbidgee River and Snowy Mountains country who could ride horses like no one else in young Banjo's life.

Banjo was 7 years old when his family moved to the farm. For an impressionable young boy, this must have been a great childhood. Growing up in the bush, he had a great fondness for horses and this was an inspiration for his ballads about them later in life.

All the Paterson children were taught by a governess. But, once they could ride, Banjo and his siblings went to the bush school at Binalong, where he stayed until he was 10 years old. In 1874, he attended the Sydney Grammar School. He stayed with his grandmother in Sydney and returned to his family and the farm on school holidays. Growing up in the countryside of New South Wales and moving to the city of Sydney after finishing school, the difference of these two worlds must of been extreme for a very young boy. Banjo never lost his love of the bush, as his writings in later life show. In 1875, he shared the junior Knox prize with Sir George Rich, and left school at age 16. He was admitted as a solicitor on 28 August 1886. He practiced in partnership with John William Street for ten years. It was during these years, he began publishing verse in The Bulletin and Sydney Mail under the name "B and The Banjo." He used "The Banjo" because his favourite horse owned by his family was named Banjo.

In 1895, Banjo Paterson wrote his famous ballad "Waltzing Matilda." You have to wonder if Waltzing Matilda was written because of those swagman that Banjo saw sitting around a camp fire waiting for the billy to boil when he was a young boy. His first book ^[5]The Man from Snowy River and other verses^[6] sold out its first edition within a week, and another four editions in six months. The book was just as well received in England as in Australia. At the time, The Times compared Banjo Paterson with Rudyard Kipling, who was the only other poet more popular than Paterson among living English speaking poets.

Banjo Paterson's Waltzing Matilda

Banjo Paterson's [7] The Man from Snowy River

In 1899, during the Boer War, Banjo traveled to South Africa as a special ^[8] war correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald. Attached to ^[9] General French's column, for nine months, Banjo Paterson was in the middle of the fighting and his accounts of campaigns included the surrender of ^[10]Bloemfontein, the capture of Pretoria, and the relief of Kimberley. Banjo met Rudyard Kipling while attending a dinner in Bloemfontein. Because of his reporting in South Africa, he was noticed by the English press. He was appointed as a correspondent for the international news agency Reuters. After the war he wrote ballads about his experiences, "Johnny Boer" and "With French to Kimberley" being the best known. He wrote twelve ballads in all.

Banjo returned to Australia in September 1900, but did not stay long. He was sent to China in July 1901 as a correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald. He then went on to England to meet his friend Phil May, who was a cartoonist he had worked with on the Bulletin. He also caught up with ^[11] Rudyard Kipling, and was a guest at his Sussex home. In 1902, when he returned to Australia, Banjo published another collection, "Rio Grande's Last Race and Other Verses." In 1903, he left his legal practice and was appointed editor of the Sydney Evening News.

Banjo married Alice Emily Walker, of Tenterfield Station, on the 8th of April 1903. They were married in St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church, in Tenterfield, New South Wales.^[12] Banjo and Alice had two children,^[13] Grace and Hugh.

In 1905 Banjo Paterson published a collection of ballads [14] entitled Old Bush Songs.

During World War I, ^[15] Banjo left for Europe as a war correspondent. Instead, he was attached as an ambulance driver to the Lady Rachel Dudley's Australian Voluntary Hospitals, also known as RAMC No 32 Stationary Hospital, Australian Volunteer Hospital and Lady Dudley’s Field Hospital, Australian Voluntary Hospital in France and was commissioned to the 2nd Remount Unit of the AIF. He was promoted to Captain, then served in the Middle East. He was wounded in April 1916 and when he rejoined his unit, he was promoted to Major. He returned to Australia in 1919.

In 1917, Angus & Robertson had published a further collection of his poems, "Saltbush Bill, J.P., and Other Verses, "and "Three Elephant Power, and Other Stories," heavily edited by A. W. Jose, to whom Robertson confided, "It is amazing that a prince of raconteurs like Banjo should be such a messer with the pen."

Banjo returned to journalism after the war and worked for The Sydney Mail and Smith's Weekly. In 1922, he became editor of a racing journal and The Sydney Sportsman. In 1923, sixty of Banjo's poems were printed in "Collected Verse," which has been reprinted many times over the decades. He retired from journalism in 1930. He was well-known around the Sydney area and he spent a lot of his time at the Australian Club where his portrait now hangs. In later years, he became a successful broadcaster with the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Banjo also wrote his book of children's poems, "The Animals Noah Forgot," in 1933. It was in "Happy Dispatches" in 1934 that he described his meetings with the famous people like Rudyard Kipling, Sir Winston Churchill, George Ernest Morrison, Lady Dudley, and British army leaders. He published another novel, "The Shearer's Colt " in1936, and in 1939 wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald. That year he was appointed ^[16] C.B.E.. ^[17]

Banjo Paterson died of a heart attack in Sydney on the 5th of February 1941,^[18] aged 76. Banjo's memorial is at the ^[19] Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, Sydney.

Banjo Paterson C.B.E winner of the 1935 Archibald Prize

Banjo Paterson Memorial Park Located at Ophir Road, Orange NSW , the site is the birthplace of Australian poet Andrew Banjo Paterson, a 1947 Memorial and a Bronze Bust completed in 2003 mark the place Banjo Paterson was born

DNA

If you are a descendant and have had your DNA tested, we encourage you to add your lineage to WIkiTree! Any descendants who tested at AncestryDNA are encouraged to upload their results to GEDmatch so that they can be compared to other testers. Please direct any questions about the DNA analysis or any DNA confirmation data to Veronica Williams 21:37, 10 September 2019 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ Australian Poetry Library - Banjo Paterson's poems (1864 – 1941)
2. ↑ Australian Geographic - On this day in history - Banjo Paterson, the Australian bush poet who penned Waltzing Matilda, was born on 17 February 1864.
3. ↑ Australia, New South Wales - Births Index >"Births, Deaths And Marriages Search". 2020. Familyhistory.Bdm.Nsw.Gov.Au.Australia, NSW BMD Index > Year: 1864; Ref: 12254/1864 ; Name: Paterson, Andrew B s/o Andrew B & Rose; Place: Orange.
4. ↑ Trove Digitised Newspapers - In the days of the Gold Escorts Lambing Flat Diggings what the teamster said by A.B Banjo Paterson - The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 4 February 1939
5. ↑ Middlemiss.org - The Man from Snowy River by A.B Banjo Paterson the full poem
6. ↑ Trove Digitised Newspapers - "The Banjo's" Poems." The Queenslander Saturday 26 October 1895
7. ↑ National Library of Australia - A.B. (Banjo) Paterson (1864–1941)Draft version of The Man from Snowy River, 1895 bound manuscript; 35.3 x 24.0cm Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
8. ↑ Australian War Memorial - Australia’s leading balladist, and famous for writing “Waltzing Matilda”. Paterson was a war correspondent, drove an ambulance in France, and was later an officer in the remount service in the Middle East.
9. ↑ Trove Digitised Newspapers - General French's column Australian Town and Country Journal Sydney Saturday 30 December 1899
10. ↑ The Monthly - In March 1900 in Bloemfontein, in the Orange Free State, Andrew Banjo Paterson attended a dinner. The 36-year-old Sydney solicitor and poet was in South Africa to cover Australia's contribution to the war against the Boers and he found himself seated beside the greatest literary celebrity of the Empire, Rudyard Kipling
11. ↑ Trove Digitised Newspapers - Banjo Paterson meets Kipling - Barrier Miner Broken Hill, NSW Thursday 17 May 1900
12. ↑ Australia, New South Wales - Marriage Index>"Births, Deaths And Marriages Search". 2020. Familyhistory.Bdm.Nsw.Gov.Au.Australia, NSW BMD Index >Year: 1903; Ref: 4617/1903; Name: Andrew B Paterson & Alice E Walker; Place: Tenterfield.
13. ↑ Flicker - Photo of Banjo Paterson with wife Alice and daughter Grace, ca. 1900-1912, by Lionel Lindsay
14. ↑ Google Books - The old Bush Songs Traditional Australian Verse - The Essential Collection (Large Print 16pt) By Richard Walshbush
15. ↑ National Archives Australia - Andrew Barton Paterson Army records World War One
16. ↑ Australian Government It's An Honour - Andrew Barton Paterson Award - The Order of the British Empire - Commander (Civil) Date granted 02 January 1939
17. ↑ Trove Digitised Newspapers - Banjo dies at 77 - Mr A.B Paterson The Argus Melbourne Thursday 6 February 1941
18. ↑ Australia, New South Wales - Death Index>"Births, Deaths And Marriages Search". 2020. Familyhistory.Bdm.Nsw.Gov.Au.Australia, NSW BMD Index>Year: 1941; Ref: 5568/1941; Name: Paterson, Andrew Barton s/o Andrew Bogle & Rose Isacella; Place: Woolawra.
19. ↑ Find a Grave - Andrew Barton Paterson - Birth - 17. Feb, 1864, Australia , Death - 5. Feb, 1941, Australia, Burial - Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium North Ryde New South Wales, Australia Find A Grave Memorial# 8029067

See also:

• Australian Poetry Library - A.B Banjo Paterson collection of poems

• Australian Dictionary of Biography - Paterson, Andrew Barton (Banjo) (1864–1941) by Clement Semmler This article was published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11, (MUP), 1988

• Wikipedia - Banjo Paterson

• Wallis and Matilda - Banjo Paterson a Biography

• All Down Under.com - A.B Banjo Paterson 1864-1941 Australian Poet and Writer

• Boer War Memorial- Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson (1864-1941) - Special Correspondent later Major , Poet, ballad writer, journalist and horseman.

• Australian Authors - A. B. ("Banjo") Paterson (1864-1941)

• alphialink.com- "Banjo" Paterson Bush Poet and Nationalist Patriot

• Murray River.com - The Man From Snowy River - Reality Or Myth? Corryong Courier, January 20th, 1949

• The Guardian - Banjo Paterson: is he still the bard of the bush? The man who wrote Waltzing Matilda was born 150 years ago on 17 February. The Australian myth he helped create is fading.

• ABC.net - Banjo Paterson's Waltzing Matilda not worth a quid - Banjo Paterson achieved enduring fame with his ballads of bushmen, pioneers and workers. With celebrations taking place to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth, Keiren McLeonard explains why the poet couldn't earn a quid from his most famous creation.

• a.mus.ine - Banjo Paterson, War Correspondent by Gregory Blaxell

• Lance Scoular - Waltzing Matilda Australia’s unofficial National Anthem written as a poem by Andrew 'Banjo' (A.B.) Paterson (1864 - 1941) at old Dagworth Homestead, Queensland, Australia in January 1895

• Images Australia - Andrew Barton Paterson - another favourite Australian poet and sometimes known as "The Banjo" (this pseudonym was the name of a station racehorse)

• Robert Tannahill - wrote the words to Thou Bonnie Wood of Craigielea, and with a friend created a Scottish tune, that through time to be presented to Banjo Patterson via a Zither, to become an advertising jingle for bush tea, to the Australian iconic song it is today known as Waltzing Matilda.

• Waltzing Matilda on Youtube - John Williamson Waltzing Matilda

• The Man from Snowy River on Youtube: The Man From Snowy River - Banjo's Poem

• 'VWMA Virtual Memorial for Banjo Paterson CBE