Australian Bush Poetry, Verse & Music

Merv Webster (The Goondiwindi Grey) – Bush Poet

Merv Webster My desire to trace out more about my family roots led me on an expedition that would instil in me a certain sense of pride with regards to my being Australian and after eight years of research I had collected enough material to write a 490 page book called, "Not Famous, Just Battlers, The Descendants of Michael and Catherine Callaghan".

Around this time I also took an interest in stock work and received an education on all aspects of the life, some of which I'd rather forget, from a hardened old drover. My father–in–law. Impressed by the stories told to me while researching the family, along with the experiences I had with wife’s dad, along with the works of the late Poet and Yarn Spinner, Keith Garvey, I was inspired to use bush poetry and yarn spinning as a medium to tell my tales. I began trying my hand at writing verse and my first book of bush poetry was called "Tales of Uncle Jim", which was well received. In 1996 I met Neil McArthur, a fellow poet, who encouraged me to try performing my poetry at the Bundy Mob's Bush Poets Muster. This was the beginning of my career as a performing bush poet. My love of bush ballads also led me to try my hand at song writing and since 2005 I have enjoyed incorporating some bush ballads in our shows.

I have been fortunate over the years to share the following accolades.

Performance Bush Poetry:

1996 – Finalist in original verse, Bundy Mob's Bush Poets Muster.
1996 – Winner, Ernie Setterfield trophy for performance poetry.
1997 – Winner of the Battered Bugle at the Surat, Cobb & Co. Festival.
1997 – Finalist at Australian Bush Poetry Championships, Winton.
1997 – Winner of Original King of Rhyme, Gympie Muster.
1997 – Winner in original verse Camooweal Drovers Yesteryear Festival.
1997 – Overall champion poet, Hervey Bay Whale Festival.
1998 – Finalist, Imperial Hotel Bush Poetry Championships, Tamworth.
1998 – Finalist in Tenterfield's Oracle of the Bush, Bush Poetry Competition.
1998 – Overall champion poet, Jondaryan Country Music Rush.
1998 – Winner of Central Queensland Bush Poetry Championships.
1999 – Finalist, Qantas – Waltzing Matilda Bush Poetry Championships, Winton.
2000 – Finalist, Imperial Hotel Bush Poetry Championships, Tamworth.

Written Bush Poetry:

1997 – Highly commended, Henry Stuart Russell competition, Basher Brogan's Pride.
1997 – Winner of the Bush Lantern Award, "Piccaninny Dawn."
1999 – Winner, Australian Bush Poetry Championships, "Sarah", Yarrawonga–Mulwala.
1998 – Finalist, Golden Gumleaf Bush Laureate Awards for "In Days Gone By".
2000 – Finalist, Golden Gumleaf Bush Laureate Awards, "Laughter & Tears from the Bush."
2000 – Winner of Battler's section, "A Bush Kid's Plea", Tenterfield's Oracles of the Bush.
2002 – Highly commended, Blackened Billy, Tamworth, "What Do I Tell My Children."
2002 – Won Cecil Plains written competition with "Leichhardt’s In The Bush."
2002 – Highly commended, Bush Lantern Award, "The Passing of Stumpy Shore."
2002 – Highly commended, Nimbin Ag. and Industrial Soc. competition "The Secret's Out"
2003 – Won, A.B.P.A. 2003 Written Championships, "The Passing of Stumpy Shore."
2004 – Finalist, Golden Gumleaf Bush Laureate Awards for "A Muster of Australiana."
2004 – Won, Tamworth Rage Page on the Internet, "A Loowd Conversation."
2005 – Finalist, Golden Gumleaf Bush Laureate Awards, "Keeping the Culture."
2005 – The Poetry Soup International Poetry Award of Exellence "Bert’s Will."
2006 – Highly Commended, Banana Shire Australia Day Bush Poetry Comp. "The Wallet"

Since 1996 I have published eight books of bush verse and yarns and have been included in The Bronze Swagman Book of Verse in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005.

Yarnspinning:

1997 – Winner of the campfire yarns, Jondaryan Country Music Rush.
1997 – Winner of the camp fire yarns, Bundy Mob's Bush Poets Muster.
1997 – Winner of the yarn spinning competition, Mapleton Yarn Festival.
1998 – Winner of the Gatton Heritage Festival Yarn Spinning Competition.
1998 – Winner of the yarn spinning competition, Millmerran Bush Poetry Festival, 1998.
1999 – Winner, Australian Junior Yarn Spinning Championships, Winton.
1999 – Winner, Yarn Spinning, Australian Bush Poetry Championships, Yarrawonga–Mulwala.
2000 – Runner Up, Yarn Spinning, Australian Bush Poetry Championships, Yarrawonga – Mulwala
2002 – Runner Up. Australian Junior Yarn Spinning Championships, Winton.

Song Lyrics

2004 – Recorded and released on Sundown Records, EP/CD The Bushman and The Balladeer.
2005 – Finalist [Lyrics Only] section Katherine Country Music Muster. "Chasing Buttons."
2005 – Winner [Lyrics Only] section Katherine Country Music Muster. "Chasing Buttons."
2006 – Finalist TSA National Song Writing Contest [Lyrics Only] "The Maintop Balladeer."
2006 – Finalist TSA National Song Writing Contest [Lyrics Only] "Flowers on a Friday."
2006 – Finalist TSA National Song Writing Contest [Lyrics Only] "Chasing Buttons."
2006 – Winner, TSA National Song Writing Contest [Lyrics Only] "The Maintop Balladeer."

Since 1999 I have concentrated on performing my own show "Laughter and Tears from the Bush" along with my wife Chris and we have performed at the Tamworth Country Music Festival since 1996, as well as numerous Festivals, Expos, Farmfests and Musters throughout Qld and New South Wales.

I am also the bush poets rep. for the Australian Bush Balladeers and edit a web page called Bush Poets News on that site.

Chris and I have our own web site which is listed at the foot of this page called Bush Poetry, Ballads and Yarns and invite you to visit us and to get to know us better.

We have a large selection of Books, CDs and cassettes available on our site, which reflect the laughter and Tears from the Bush.

Chris & The Grey
Chris and Merv Webster
P.O. Box 8211
Bargara, Qld, 4670
PH: 07 4159 1868 or 0427 591868
Email:
Website: www.users.tpg.com.au/thegrey

A selection of Merv's poems.

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