Leon Gellert
Encyclopedia
Leon Maxwell Gellert was an Australian poet.
He was born in Walkerville, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. He was subjected to bullying by his father, a Methodist of Hungarian extraction, to which he reacted by learning self-defence at the YMCA
.
After an education at Adelaide High School
, he embarked on a teaching career; first as a student-teacher at Unley Public School then at the University of Adelaide's Teacher Training College.
He enlisted with the Australian Imperial Forces 10th Battalion within weeks of the outbreak of the Great War and sailed for Cairo
on 22 October 1914. He landed at Ari Burnu Beach, Gallipoli
on 25 April 1915, was wounded and repatriated as medically unfit in June 1916. He attempted to re-enlist but was soon found out. He returned to teaching at Norwood Public School.
During periods of inactivity he had been indulging his appetite for writing poetry. Songs of a Campaign (1917) was his first published book of verse, and was favourably reviewed by The Bulletin
. Angus & Robertson
soon published a new edition, illustrated by Norman Lindsay
. His second, The Isle of San (1919), also illustrated by Lindsay, was not so well received however. He took to journalism, moving to Sydney
where he taught English at Cleveland Street Intermediate High School until 1922 when he joined the staff at Smith's Weekly
. There he was introduced to the circle that included Sydney Ure Smith
and Bertram Stevens
. He was appointed editor of Ure Smith's Home magazine and co-editor of the quarterly Art in Australia which he took over on Stevens' death in 1922.
John Fairfax
took over Ure Smith Publications in 1934, Ure Smith and Gellert retaining their positions until 1938 when Ure Smith retired. Gellert continued editing Home until 1942 when it ceased publication. He then became litery editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, writing a column 'Something Personal' in the Saturday issues as well as humorous columns for the Sunday Herald
and the Sunday Telegraph
.
He returned to Adelaide after the death of his wife Kathleen in 1969, living in the suburb of Hazelwood Park and died eight years later. Their only child, a daughter, died in childbirth in the 1940's.
He was subject of a dry-point portrait by Norman Lindsay
and a 1923 oil painting by Norman Carter. His biography A Torrent of Words (ISBN 0909422265)
was written by Gavin Souter
.
He was born in Walkerville, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. He was subjected to bullying by his father, a Methodist of Hungarian extraction, to which he reacted by learning self-defence at the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
.
After an education at Adelaide High School
Adelaide High School
Adelaide High School is a coeducational state high school situated on the corner of West Terrace and Glover Avenue in the Adelaide Parklands. It is the first government high school in South Australia...
, he embarked on a teaching career; first as a student-teacher at Unley Public School then at the University of Adelaide's Teacher Training College.
He enlisted with the Australian Imperial Forces 10th Battalion within weeks of the outbreak of the Great War and sailed for Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
on 22 October 1914. He landed at Ari Burnu Beach, Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
on 25 April 1915, was wounded and repatriated as medically unfit in June 1916. He attempted to re-enlist but was soon found out. He returned to teaching at Norwood Public School.
During periods of inactivity he had been indulging his appetite for writing poetry. Songs of a Campaign (1917) was his first published book of verse, and was favourably reviewed by The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
. Angus & Robertson
Angus & Robertson
Angus & Robertson is a bookstore chain in Australia. Its first bookstore was opened in 110½ Market Street, Sydney by Scotsman David Angus in 1884; it sold second-hand books. In 1886, he went into partnership with fellow Scot, George Robertson with whom he had worked earlier.- Bookselling history...
soon published a new edition, illustrated by Norman Lindsay
Norman Lindsay
Norman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist, sculptor, writer, editorial cartoonist, scale modeler, and boxer. He was born in Creswick, Victoria....
. His second, The Isle of San (1919), also illustrated by Lindsay, was not so well received however. He took to journalism, moving to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
where he taught English at Cleveland Street Intermediate High School until 1922 when he joined the staff at Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. An independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia, Smith’s Weekly was one of Australia’s most patriotic newspaper-style magazines....
. There he was introduced to the circle that included Sydney Ure Smith
Sydney Ure Smith
Sydney George Ure Smith was an Australian arts publisher and promoter who 'did more than any other Australian to publicize Australian art at home and overseas'....
and Bertram Stevens
Bertram Stevens (critic)
Bertram William Mathyson Francis Stevens was Australian journal editor literary and art critic, anthologist .Stevens was born at Inverell, New South...
. He was appointed editor of Ure Smith's Home magazine and co-editor of the quarterly Art in Australia which he took over on Stevens' death in 1922.
John Fairfax
John Fairfax
John Fairfax , English-born journalist, is notable for the incorporation of the major newspapers of modern day Australia.-Early life:...
took over Ure Smith Publications in 1934, Ure Smith and Gellert retaining their positions until 1938 when Ure Smith retired. Gellert continued editing Home until 1942 when it ceased publication. He then became litery editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, writing a column 'Something Personal' in the Saturday issues as well as humorous columns for the Sunday Herald
Sunday Herald
The Sunday Herald is a Scottish Sunday newspaper launched on 7 February 1999. The ABC audited circulation in April 2011 showed sales of 31,123.From the start it has combined a centre-left stance with support for Scottish devolution...
and the Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
.
He returned to Adelaide after the death of his wife Kathleen in 1969, living in the suburb of Hazelwood Park and died eight years later. Their only child, a daughter, died in childbirth in the 1940's.
He was subject of a dry-point portrait by Norman Lindsay
Norman Lindsay
Norman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist, sculptor, writer, editorial cartoonist, scale modeler, and boxer. He was born in Creswick, Victoria....
and a 1923 oil painting by Norman Carter. His biography A Torrent of Words (ISBN 0909422265)
was written by Gavin Souter
Gavin Souter
Gavin Geoffrey Souter AO is an Australian journalist and historian.He was born in Sydney and educated at Kempsey High School, and Scots College in Warwick, Queensland and then graduated BA from the University of Sydney...
.
Sources
- http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140291b.htm
- http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/41043-Leon-Gellert-In-The-Trench