GIBSON, George Herbert (1846-1921)

writer of humorous verse

was born at Plymouth, England, on 28 August 1846. His father was a solicitor and Gibson, after serving articles with him, qualified for the same profession in 1868. In the following year he went to New Zealand and then came to New South Wales, where he had experience on the land for some years. He joined the department of lands, Sydney, as a temporary clerk in June 1876 and was appointed to the permanent staff on 1 January 1877. He early began writing light verse for Sydney newspapers and in 1878 published Southerly Busters by Ironbark. He left the department of lands for a time, but joined it again in January 1882, and on 1 May 1883 was appointed a relieving crown land agent. He became inspector of crown land agents' offices on 20 August 1896, and in his official capacity travelled widely throughout New South Wales. He retired from the department on 30 June 1915 and lived at Lindfield until his death on 18 June 1921. He married late in life and left a widow and family. His second book Ironbark Chips and Stockwhip Cracks published in 1893 with excellent illustrations by Percy F. S. Spence (q.v.) and Alf Vincent, included a selection from Southerly Busters. His last volume Ironbark Splinters from the Australian Bush published in 1912 contained a collection of his verses contributed to the Bulletin with a few others from his previous book. A second edition with three additional poems was also published. A small volume of prose Old Friends under New Aspects was published in 1883.

Gibson was an amiable man full of quiet humour. His last book was his best, it "does not profess to be anything but the lightest of light reading" but his bush ballads were often excellent and were very popular.

J. H. Heaton, Australian Dictionary of Dates; Information from Department of Lands, Sydney; The Bulletin, 15 February 1906; E. Morris Miller, Australian Literature.