Andrew Barton Paterson (1864-1941) was an Australian folk poet popularly known as "Banjo" Paterson from his pen name, "The Banjo." His swinging rhythms captured the atmosphere of the land, life, and humor of Australia's people.

The son of a grazier, Andrew Paterson was born at Narrambla near Orange, New South Wales, on Feb. 17, 1864. While attending Sydney Grammar School he lived with his grandmother, a writer of verse and a member of Sydney's literary set. The lad spent school vacations on his father's property in the Yass district; here he absorbed the frontiersman's lore and developed a love of the outdoors. At 16 he entered Sydney University; when he graduated, he practiced law in Sydney.

Adopting the name "The Banjo" from a racehorse, Paterson began contributing narrative-type verse to the Bulletin of Sydney, then establishing itself among men living secluded lives in the hinterland. He became a leading exponent of...