16 August 1865: Dame Mary Gilmore is born

Mary Jean Cameron, born on 16 August 1865 near Crookwell, New South Wales, grew up in the Riverina region, where her mother’s storytelling sparked her love for literature. An avid reader, Mary sought refuge and inspiration in books from a young age. After completing her teaching exams in 1882, she worked in Wagga Wagga and later near Broken Hill, where her growing socialist views were accompanied by a budding passion for poetry.

In 1890, she moved to Sydney and became involved with the Bulletin School, a group of writers linked to The Bulletin magazine. There, literary editor A.G. Stephens helped establish her as a voice of protest, publishing her verse that championed workers and the oppressed. Henry Lawson, a major influence on her work, became her close companion during this period, though their relationship ended due to his frequent absences from Sydney.

A committed socialist, Mary joined the New Australia settlement in Paraguay in 1895, marrying William Gilmore and having a son before returning to Australia in 1902. She continued to write passionately for social causes, publishing poems and articles on women’s rights, pensions, and Indigenous issues. Her first poetry collection, Marri’d and Other Verses, was published in 1910. In recognition of her contribution to Australian culture, she was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1937. Among her enduring works are the wartime poems No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest (1940) and Nationality (1942), both resonating deeply with the Australian spirit during World War II.