Peter Denis Kevans (15 January 1939–2005) was an Australian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

and folk singer from

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

. Known as Australia's ''"poet lorikeet"'', he wrote mainly on political, human rights and environmental topics. He also worked for 20 years as a journalist and teacher.

Life

Kevans was born in Westlake,

in 1939. His mother, Mona Knight, was the daughter of Alfred Knight of No. 1 Westlake, which is today the site of a memorial to the families who lived in the area, located close to the grounds of the Mexican Embassy in Yarralumla. The sites of the majority of Westlake Cottages (1924-1965) are in the grounds of the nearby Stirling Park in Yarralumla. Kevans attended St Christopher's Convent School in Manuka. His younger brother, Anthony John "Jacko" Kevans (1942–2005) was a bush musician and a teacher;. Note: User must add 'Kevans' into the Surname search parameter and 'Jacko' into the Any Given Name(s) parameter. the brothers performed together and Anthony Kevans was also a member of Monaro Boys and of the Larrikins. Kevans won a scholarship to St Josephs College, Sydney, where he played cricket and rugby for the school first teams of 1956. Upon leaving St. Joseph's College he continued playing cricket, being selected by Robert Menzies for the

Prime Minister's XI The Prime Minister's XI or PM's XI (formerly Australian Prime Minister's Invitation XI) is an invitational cricket team picked by the Prime Minister of Australia for an annual match held at the Manuka Oval in Canberra against an overseas touring ...

, which played the touring English team in 1958. Although initially studying medicine, at his father's urging for him to become a writer he switched courses to complete a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Education and a Master of Arts in Australian Literature at

Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...

, while working on building sites and becoming a member of the New South Wales Builders Labourers Federation. Kevans became active in pro-peace political and cultural movements, including the Realist Writers Group associated with the

Bush Music Club Sydney's Bush Music Club is the oldest and longest running folk music performance and education organisation in Australia, and is believed to be the second oldest such club still in existence in the English speaking world. Founded in 1954, and s ...

. He wrote humorous poems and original songs on political topics, and published several books and two CDs. He received a number of poetry awards during his lifetime. Kevans died in 2005 of complications following heart surgery.

Recognition

A bushland reserve located on the corner of Armstrong Street and Valley Road in

Wentworth Falls, New South Wales Wentworth Falls ( postcode: 2782) is a town in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, situated approximately west of the Sydney central business district, and about east of Katoomba, Australia on the Great Western Highway, with a W ...

, was posthumously dedicated to his memory, as the "Denis Kevans Bushland Gardens". A concert in honour of Kevans, intended to be an annual event, was held on 24 April 2009.

References

External links

Obituary in Labour History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kevans, Denis 1939 births 2005 deaths Australian folk singers People educated at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill 20th-century Australian poets Australian male poets 20th-century Australian male singers 20th-century Australian male writers