This is the home page of WA Bush Poets Member,
 

John Hayes

John is both a writer and performer

He performs both his own and Traditional poem and is available for private performances

Here's a bit about John

Western Australian Bush Poet John Hayes was born in Kalgoorlie in 1937 where both his father and grandfather were gold miners.

In 1946 his family moved to Esperance and this is where he learned his first pieces of poetry from the collection of A.B. Paterson

On leaving school at the age of fourteen he went to work for a short time with his step father and then worked as a farm hand around the Lake Grace – Newdegate district for three years. His first book of poetry "Till the Soil", which was published by Access Press in 1984, depicts stories of that period.

In 1955 he went share-farming with his family on a property East of Ballidu and they took up land at that time in the Koorda Shire 17 miles east of Kalannie.

Moving to the city some years later, John commenced a career in the technical side of Channel 9 TV which he continued until his retirement in 1995  when his second book "Fireside Reflections" was printed. It was then he, accompanied by his wife Anne, started traveling and reciting to promote bush verse to the wider community.  He has a large performance repertoire, consisting of a mixture of  his own work along with that of his favourite poets of a past era,
A.B. (Banjo) Paterson and Henry Lawson

He became a foundation member of the WA Bush Poets and Yarnspinners in 1996 which gave him the opportunity to meet other poets and performers

His third book "Grains of Gold and Stories" was a limited edition in 2007 followed closely by his autobiography.

All of his work comes from extensive background research and his own life experiences.

At the moment his books are out of print but he has recorded a series of audio discs, some with background music.

John has won a number of competitions for both writing and reciting,

He is available for public speaking and recitals.

 You can contact John on 08 9377 1238
or email him

Here's a couple of John's poem from the many that he has written.

Harry Swain's Scales     Ernie's Pipe-dream   The Wool Buyer

John also has a couple of CDs, one of his own work and another of him performing the poems of Henry Lawson

Disc content    1 Introduction                             9 The Wool Buyer  2 Harry Swains Scales            10 Batty’s Cottage  3 The Widow Maker                11 Corkscrew’s Find  4 Breaking the Dry                  12 Checkmate  5 Till the Soil                           13 Last Year  6  Longing for my Homeland   14 Quandong Cafe    7 Good old Days                     15 Geriatric Gypsy  8 Shearing at Barlina              16 Ernie’s pipe Dream

 

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