Booranga Writer's Author Talk with David Benn and Open Mic

DAVID BENN grew up in the outback, on the family Station “Thoura”, a Soldiers Settlement block 120 miles Northwest of Bourke not far from Hungerford on the NSW Queensland border.

His love of Australian Bush Poetry and Stories developed from these days whenthere was no TV and limited communication. Entertainment after a game of cricket or tennis was to go back to the local pub and listen to the characters singing songs,telling bush yarns and reciting bush poetry. As a young bloke he never got sick of listening to them and eventually learning and reciting a few himself.

He became a jackaroo and later progressed to the stock manager on a large pastoral property in Tasmania running 15,000 cattle and 35,000 sheep. He moved back home to run the family property in 1974. The inevitable droughts and bad seasons and needing to support his growing family led him to find a job in the insurance industry based in Nyngan. Over the next 40 years he worked as an underwriter and insurance broker specialising in rural and general Insurance in the Western Division of NSW and Riverina areas. He started his own insurance broking business in 1998 and moved to a small farm 22 kilometres North of Wagga Wagga, producing grain, sheep, cattle and extra virgin olive oil under the brand name of W2O. He sold the farm in 2017 and moved back into town and sold his insurance business in 2022.

He is now retired but as busy as ever in our local and rural community through Wollundry Rotary Club, The Wagga City Rugby Men’s Choir, Riverina Bluebell and over 70s Seniors Cricket. He is a keen Golfer and loves all sports. With his wife Cherie, a keen Gardener, he loves to travel and spend time with grandchildren, three of whom are in the Hawkes Bay area in New Zealand and the other two in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.

David believes Australian bush poetry memorably shows many of the facades and incidents of Australian life – humour, tragedy, irony – it entertains us and shows our humanity …

David's presentation will be followed by an Open Mic for poetry.