Rex Ingamells facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rex Ingamells
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| Born | Reginald Charles (Rex) Ingamells 19 January 1913 Orroroo, South Australia, Australia |
| Died | 30 December 1955 (aged 42) Dimboola, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Period | 1935–1955 |
| Literary movement | Jindyworobak Movement |
Rex Ingamells (born January 19, 1913 – died December 30, 1955) was an Australian poet. He is best known for starting the Jindyworobak Movement. This group of writers wanted Australian poetry to be more about the land and its original people.
Ingamells was born in Orroroo, South Australia, a town in South Australia. He became very interested in poetry and the unique culture of Indigenous Australian people. This interest led him to create the Jindyworobak Movement. His first book of poems, Gum Tops, was published in 1935. Sadly, he died in a car crash near Dimboola, Victoria, in 1955.
Early Life and Inspiration
Rex Ingamells was born on January 19, 1913. He was the oldest of four children. His father was a Methodist minister, which meant his family moved around South Australia quite a bit.
Rex went to different schools, including those in Meadows, Burra, and Port Lincoln. He then attended Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. Later, he studied at the University of Adelaide, where he earned a degree in history in 1934.
During his younger years, Rex became very interested in poetry. He also developed a deep fascination with the culture and traditions of Australia's Indigenous people. This interest greatly influenced his writing and his ideas about Australian poetry.
The Jindyworobak Movement
Rex Ingamells is most famous for starting the Jindyworobak Movement. This was a group of Australian poets who believed that Australian poetry should be truly Australian. They felt that earlier Australian poems often copied European styles and ideas.
The Jindyworobaks wanted poetry to reflect Australia's unique landscape, animals, and the rich culture of its Indigenous people. They used Aboriginal words and ideas in their poems. Rex Ingamells was the main leader and thinker behind this movement. He encouraged other poets to look at Australia with fresh eyes and write about it in a new way.
Awards and Recognition
Rex Ingamells's work was recognized for its importance to Australian literature.
- In 1951, he won the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry. This award was for his long poem called 'The Great South Land : An Epic Poem'.
- Also in 1951, he received the ALS Gold Medal. This was another important award for 'The Great South Land : An Epic Poem', showing its significance.
