Arthur Rex Dugard "Rex" Fairburn (2 February 1904 – 25 March 1957) was a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

 who was born and died in Auckland.

He attended Auckland Grammar School

Auckland Grammar School

Auckland Grammar School is a state secondary school for years 9 to 13 boys in Auckland, New Zealand. It had a roll of 2,483 in 2008, including a number of boarders who live in nearby Tibbs' House, making it one of the largest schools in New Zealand...

, where he first met R. A. K. Mason

R. A. K. Mason

Ronald Allison Kells Mason was described by Allen Curnow as New Zealand's "first wholly original, unmistakably gifted poet". He was born in Auckland and educated at Auckland Grammar School, where he met A. R. D...

, and worked at various jobs, including relief work on the roads. Later he tutored in English and lectured on the history and theory of Art at Elam School of Art

Elam School of Fine Arts

The Elam School of Fine Arts, founded in 1890 by John Edward Elam is a part of Auckland University. Students study degrees in fine art with an emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach.-History:...

, Auckland University College

University of Auckland

The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...

. His poetry was initially influenced by the (then unfashionable) Georgian poets.

Works

• He Shall Not Rise (1930)
• Dominion (1938)
• Poems 1929-41
• Walking on my Feet (1945)
• Strange Rendezview (1952)
• Three Poems including Dominion, The Voyage, To a Friend in the Wilderness (1952)

plus satirical and light verse including:

• The Sky is a Limpet (A Polytickle Parrotty)
• How to Ride a Bicycle (In Seventeen Lovely Colours)
• The Rakehelly Man
• Poetry Harbinger

External links

• Biography in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
• Interview with A.R.D Fairburn's daughters Dinah Holman and Janis Fairburn about their father for Cultural Icons project. Audio.