Long before Australia had radio, film, or television, the stories of the bush travelled through poetry. And one man captured that spirit better than anyone.

In this episode of the Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, Cheralyn Darcey explores the life of the man behind some of Australia’s most beloved bush ballads. Known to the world as Banjo Paterson, Andrew Barton Paterson gave voice to drovers, stockmen, and the sweeping landscapes of the Australian outback through poems like The Man from Snowy River, Clancy of the Overflow, and the iconic song Waltzing Matilda.

But his life was far more than poetry. He was a lawyer, a journalist, a war correspondent, and a traveller who witnessed some of the defining moments of the early twentieth century.

Tonight we step into the saddle and ride back into the Australia that inspired his words.

The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story with Cheralyn Darcey
Listen and rediscover the stories that shaped Australia.