John Shaw Neilson received only a basic education, yet became one of Australia's best poets. He was born at Penola, South Australia on 22 February 1872. Raised by a family of poor labourers, Neilson worked as a farm hand.

John Shaw Neilson (1872-1942) is Australia's great lyric poet and Collected Poems (1934), dedicated to Louise Dyer, bears his imprimatur. Encouraged by his editor, Robert Croll, Neilson was totally involved in its publication and promotion, selecting the poems, rewriting lines, adding new stanzas and restoring A.G. Stephen's earlier changes. Photographic sittings and book signings followed as well as favourable reviews. Neilson modestly attended readings in his honour at the Bookshop of Margareta Webber and enjoyed the concert broadcasts of Margaret Sutherland's compositions which included 'The Orange Tree'. After reading the Collected Poems she wrote to Neilson: "I have set your voice to music."A new introduction by Dr Helen Hewson, an Honorary Associate in the School of Letters, Art and Media at the University of Sydney, explores some of the influences which have shaped Neilson's poetry - his Celtic background, religious upbringing, reading and writing and love of art and music.

John Shaw Neilson (1872-1942) is Australia's great lyric poet. A new introduction by Dr Helen Hewson explores some of the influences which have shaped Neilson's poetry.

Neilson (1872-1942) was the son of a small settler and contract labourer in Western Victoria, and led the same kind of life as his father, helping his family work a number of disastrous selections and adding to their income by seasonal jobs at fencing, fruit picking, quarrying and woodcutting. His mother and two of his sisters died young, and he and his brothers suffered from chronic ailments attributable to poor diet and constant anxiety.