Bruce Dawe facts for kids

Donald Bruce Dawe (born 15 February 1930 – died 1 April 2020) was a famous Australian poet. Many people think he was one of the most important Australian poets ever. He wrote many poems about everyday life in Australia.

Bruce Dawe's Early Life

Bruce Dawe was born in 1930 in a suburb of Melbourne called Fitzroy. His parents came from farms in Victoria. They, and his older sisters and brother, did not finish primary school. Bruce's family always encouraged him. His younger sister also wrote poetry. His mother loved to recite poems she learned as a child.

Bruce went to six different schools. He left Northcote High School in Melbourne when he was 16. He did not finish his final school exams. Out of his four siblings, he was the only one to go to high school.

After leaving school, Bruce worked in many different jobs. He was a clerk, a labourer, and a sales assistant. He also worked as an office boy for an advertising company. He was a copy boy for Melbourne newspapers like The Truth. He also worked in sawmills and on a farm.

In 1953, Bruce finished his adult school exams by studying part-time. He started at Melbourne University in 1954. He left university at the end of 1954. Then he moved to Sydney. There, he worked in a glass factory and a battery factory. He returned to Melbourne in 1956. He worked as a postman for two years. He also worked as a gardener.

In 1959, Bruce joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He first trained to be a telegraphist. Later, he became an education assistant. He was posted to different RAAF bases, including Ballarat and Wagga.

Bruce also spent six months working in Malaysia. While he was there, he wrote a school song. This song was for the RAAF School on Penang island. Children of RAAF staff went to this school. The song was used from 1966 until the school closed in 1988.

Bruce Dawe's Teaching Career

Bruce left the RAAF in 1968. He then started teaching at Downlands College. This was a Catholic boys' school in Toowoomba, Queensland. Bruce had become Catholic in 1954. He taught English and history for two and a half years. After that, he became a university lecturer. He taught English literature at the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education (DDIAE) in Toowoomba.

He became a lecturer at DDIAE in 1971. In 1980, he became a senior lecturer. When the school became the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), he became an associate professor. In 1988, he won the first DDIAE Award for Excellence in Teaching. He stopped teaching full-time in 1993. He was then made the first honorary professor of USQ. This was to thank him for his work at the university. After retiring, he taught classes for older adults.

Bruce earned four university degrees. He completed all of them by studying part-time.

In 1999, Bruce started a national poetry prize. He wanted to thank the University of Southern Queensland for the chances it gave him. The prize is $2,500 and is given every year. It helps support poets and celebrates their important work in Australia. The university holds the money for the Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize. English literature staff at the university choose the winner.

Bruce Dawe's Family Life

Bruce Dawe married Gloria Desley Blain on 27 January 1964. They had four children: Brian, twins Jamie and Katrina, and Melissa. Gloria passed away in 1997.

Bruce Dawe died in Caloundra, Queensland, on 1 April 2020. He was 90 years old.

Awards and Honours

Bruce Dawe received many awards for his poetry and his contributions to Australian literature:

• 1965 – Won the Myer Poetry Prize
• 1967 – Won the Ampol Arts Award for Creative Literature
• 1968 – Won the Myer Poetry Prize again
• 1973 – Won the Dame Mary Gilmore Medal
• 1978 – Won the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry
• 1979 – Won the Braille Book of the Year
• 1980 – Won the Patrick White Literary Award
• 1984 – Won the Christopher Brennan Award
• 1990 – Received the Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary International
• 1992 – Was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. This award is for people who have done great things for Australia. Bruce received it for his service to Australian literature, especially his poetry.
• 1996 – Received an Alumni Award from the University of New England
• 1997 – Won the first Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal
• 2000 – Received the Australian Council for the Arts Emeritus Writers Award for his long and great work in Australian literature
• 2001 – Was given the Centenary Medal for his "distinguished service to the arts through poetry"