The Dawn and Dusk Club, or ''Dawn and Duskers'', was a

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

-based Australian

Bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

club of writer friends from the late 19th century who met for drinks and camaraderie. Writer

Henry Lawson Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson (17 June 1867 – 2 September 1922) was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial perio ...

was a prominent member of the club. The motto was ''Roost high and crow low''.

History

The club was formed around 1898 in Sydney, Australia by poet

Victor Daley Victor James William Patrick Daley (5 September 1858 – 29 December 1905) was an Australian poet. Daley serves chiefly as an example of the Celtic Twilight in Australian verse. He also serves as a lyrical alternative to his contempora ...

, and named after his best known book of verses. It was based on the Gawler Humbug Society. The club met at Fred J. Broomfield's home on the corner of Ice Road and Great Barcom Street,

Darlinghurst Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district (CBD) and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney. I ...

, near

St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney is a leading tertiary referral hospital and research facility located in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Though funded and integrated into the New South Wales state public health system, it is operated by St Vincent's Heal ...

about September, 1898. Foundation members of 'the Duskers', a small and exclusive group of friends, were Daley, Broomfield, James Philp, Herbert Low (journalist), William Bede Melville (a reporter for the Sydney newspaper, ''The Star''), Angus Sinclair (writer), Bertram Stevens and

Randolph Bedford Randolph Bedford (born George Randolph Bedford 27 June 1868 – 7 July 1941) was an Australian poet, novelist, short story writer and Queensland state politician. Early life Bedford was born in Camperdown, Sydney, the son of Alfred Bedford, w ...

. Daley was elected 'Symposiarch' of the Duskers and the seven 'heptarchs' were Lawson, Stevens, Nelson Illingworth, Frank P. Mahony,

George Augustine Taylor George Augustine Taylor (1 August 1872 – 20 January 1928) was an Australian artist, journalist, and inventor. Life Taylor was born at Sydney in 1872. He began his working life articled to an architect (a Mr Hobbs). However, he first became k ...

, Con Lindsay (journalist), and Philp, who drafted the rules. Artists

Norman Lindsay Norman Alfred William Lindsay (22 February 1879 – 21 November 1969) was an Australian artist, etcher, sculptor, writer, art critic, novelist, cartoonist and amateur boxer. One of the most prolific and popular Australian artists of his genera ...

and Albert Henry Fullwood were also members. ''Truth'' magazine publisher John Norton called them "a band of boozy, bar-bumming bards". The ''Dawn and Dusk Club'' was succeeded by the ''Supper Club'', the rules of which were written in Chinese. Daley was still very much part of the new Bohemian club, which also included journalist J. F. Archibald.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawn And Dusk Club Defunct clubs and societies of Australia 1898 establishments in Australia Culture of Sydney