Rosemary Dobson

Rosemary de Brissac Dobson (18 June 192027 June 2012) was an Australian poet, illustrator, editor and anthologist. She published fourteen volumes of poetry, was published in almost every annual volume of Australian Poetry and has been translated into French and other languages.

The judges of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards in 1996 described said: "The level of originality and strength of Rosemary's poetry cannot be underestimated, nor can the contribution she has made to Australian literature. Her literary achievements, especially her poetry, are a testament to her talent and dedication to her art."

Life Rosemary Dobson was born in Sydney, the second daughter of English-born A.A.G. (Arthur) Dobson and Marjorie (née Caldwell). Her paternal grandfather was Austin Dobson, a poet and essayist. Her father died when she was five years old. She attended the prestigious Frensham School where her mother obtained work as a housemistress.

She married the publisher Alec Bolton (1926–1996), whom she met while working at Angus and Robertson, in Sydney, and they had three children. During these Sydney years she became well-acquainted with other writers and artists, such as poet Douglas Stewart and his artist wife, Margaret Coen, writer and artist Norman Lindsay, Kenneth Slessor, and James McAuley. They lived in London from 1966 to 1971, during which she travelled widely in Europe and cemented her lifelong interest in art. as well as her experience of motherhood. Hooton describes her work as both consistent and varied: "consistency balanced with variety, reserve with passion, past with present, tradition with innovation, ancient myth with contemporary life, domesticity with culture, and above all Australia with Europe. In her introduction to her 1973 Selected Poems, Dobson wrote of her aims: "I hope it will be perceived that the poems presented here are part of a search for something only fugitively glimpsed, a state of grace which one once knew, or imagined, or from which one was turned away. Surely everyone who writes poetry would agree this is part of it - a doomed but urgent wish to express the inexpressible".

Two early publications from the press, published in 1973, were a small sheet edition of some of Dobson's poems titled Three poems on water-springs and a small book of poems by David Campbell titled Starting from Central Station : a sequence of poems.

Portraits Norman Lindsay made three portraits of Dobson, the first one at the suggestion of Douglas Stewart who suggested he draw or paint Australian writers. Lindsay's first portrait of Dobson was a drawing, but it was then suggested that he do an oil painting. Lindsay asked her to wear her rose-coloured evening dress. This painting is now owned by the National Library of Australia, as is the dress she wore for the portrait. Dobson sat a third time for Lindsay, at his request and wearing clothes of his suggestion. This portrait is now missing.

Awards 1946: The Sydney Morning Herald Poetry Prize for The Ship of Ice 1966 Myer Award II for Australian Poetry for Cock Crow 1977 Australian National University Honorary Convocation Member 1984: Patrick White Award 1984: Grace Leven Prize for Poetry for Best Volume of Poetry for the Year The Three Fates & Other Poems 1985: Victorian Premier's Prize for Poetry Joint Winner for The Three Fates 1986: Association for the Study of Australian Literature Honorary Life Member 1987: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) 1996: Australia Council Writer's Emeritus Award 1996: University of Sydney Honorary Doctor of Letters 2001: The Age Book of the Year Book of the Year and Poetry Awards for Untold Lives & Later Poems 2006: NSW Alice Award 2006: New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Special Award