About Jack Drake
The life, craft and legacy of one of Australia’s most authentic bush poets.
A horseman, stockman, saddler, historian and performer — Jack wrote from a life lived in the bush.
Jack Drake is a product of the bush who lived the life he wrote about. He spent long days on shearing boards, tending horses he bred and broke in, and working the land with the practical skill of a genuine outback bushman.
Like most bush blokes, Jack could turn his hand to almost anything — saddlery, fencing, farriery, welding, carpentry — the hundred and one tasks that keep a property alive. His poetry is grounded in this real lived experience, giving his words an unmistakable authenticity.
Born in rural New Zealand in 1950, Jack later became a proud Australian. His love of verse began when his father handed him a copy of Banjo Paterson’s poetry at the age of ten.
Jack self-published early collections including “Duck for Cover”, “Still Ducking”, “Dinkum Poetry” and “Saga of the Dog”, before releasing his most popular collection “The Cattle Dog’s Revenge” through CQU Press in 2003. His last book Forgotten Heroes & Hellraisers published in 2025 was published through Spur N Eight Publishers. Over his career he produced seven published books — five historically researched works and two volumes of bush verse.
His recorded works include five CDs, beginning with “The Cattle Dog’s Revenge” (2001) and “Dinkum Poetry” (2002), followed by three more albums of live and studio performance.
Jack recited both his own poems and the classics of bush verse, delivering them with the fire, humour and spirit audiences loved. His lifelong connection with horses, cattle, sheep and the land gave his performances a rare authenticity.
For many years, Jack operated Red Gum Ridge Trail Rides in the border ranges near Stanthorpe. The work kept him active as a saddler, farrier, horse educator and occasional blade-shearing demonstrator. After old rodeo injuries forced him to retire, he shifted his focus to writing and performing.
Awards & Achievements
- Highly Commended – Bronze Swagman Award 2012 “The Water of the Wells – Beersheba 1917”
- Golden Gumleaf Award 2004 – Best Original Book of Verse “The Cattle Dog's Revenge”
- Finalist – Australian Bush Laureate Awards (2002 & 2003)
- Winner – National Bush Poetry Championship, Brisbane Ekka (2001)
- Winner – Tenterfield Oracles of the Bush (1999–2001)
- Awarded “Bush Poet of the Year 2001” – Asthma Foundation of NSW
Jack’s books and recordings have travelled across Australia and internationally to Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. A piece of his poetry even adorns the wall of Café Oz in Paris, France.
His works have been broadcast on Alan Jones, John Laws, ABC National Radio and numerous regional stations around the country.