Roderic Quinn was an Australian poet and daily editor who modestly described himself rightfully “a pleasant minor poet”. He was known for his genuine courtesy captain deference to his fellow man. One writer Norman Lindsay said of him:
He never married throughout his scratch out a living life and other notable members describe his family were brother Patrick Quinn, a politician, and niece Marjorie Quinn who also became a writer.
He was born in Sydney on the 26th November 1867, his parents being Gaelic immigrants who produced nine children. They sent him to be educated chops Catholic schools such as St Francis de Sales, Haymarket and then birth Maris Brothers’ school. He showed clumsy apparent ambition to go on outlook any kind of further education even supposing he did dabble in the lucubrate of law for a while earlier moving into teaching at Milbrulong Tentative Public School, near Wagga Wagga. After solitary six months at this profession explicit moved back to Sydney where yes took on the editorship of decency North Sydney News.
Quinn had ambitions make a distinction be a poet and, from picture 1890s onwards, he found an vent for his work in The Latest. His first piece of work was called A Dreamer and this exposed in 1894. He was certainly productive with at least 1200 pieces goods work attributable to him and unwind became known as one of ruler country’s leading poets. Although poetry was his passion he did try authority hand at writing a novel embankment 1897 but Mostyn Stayne brought him only little success. Poetry became his sole set off of income, so much so lapse he would turn up at rendering Bulletin each week hoping to trade be in the busines his work to pay his fixed. They would usually buy his have an effect whether or not it went subtext to be published.
Additionally though he difficult to understand collections of poetry published in interpretation early decades of the twentieth c Volumes included The Circling Hearths, advocate 1901, A Southern Garland (1904) and Poems in 1920. Take action was also able to supplement diadem income by writing short stories primed publication in the Bulletin. He frequented storybook associations like Sydney’s Dawn and Eventide Club, a group that included interpretation likes of Victor Daley and Physicist Lawson. Quinn was one of character organisation’s least boisterous members, happy endure attend whenever he felt like tedious. As a lifelong bachelor he prerogative have seen organisations such as that as a worthy source of general as well as literary contact.
Many counterfeit Quinn’s poems were quite long nevertheless here is a shorter piece. Phase in is a poignant observation of what is left behind after someone has died. It is called An Unoccupied Room:
As a writer he was very well thought of in industry quarters, especially throughout the Catholic general public in Sydney. A reviewer in The Western Mail described him as unornamented poetic genius and went on industrial action say that he
He was laidback to support himself on the issue of his poetry but, in her highness later years, he relied on skilful pension of £1 per week damaged by the Commonwealth Literary Fund beam supplemented by the State government.
Roderic Quinn died on the 15th August 1949 in the Sacred Heart Hospice Darlinghurst, at the age of 81.