Biography George Essex Evans

Poet Biography

George Essex Evans (1863 - 1909), poet, was born in London on 18th June 1863. His father, John Evans, Q.C., who was for five years a member of the House of Commons, died when George was only a few months old. His schooldays were spent in Wales and in Jersey, and when he was 17 years of age he emigrated to Queensland, australia, settling in the rural City of Toowoomba
He arrived in April 1881 and, after some experience on the land, obtained a position on the journal, "Queenslander". He entered the Public Service in 1888 and afterwards became District Registrar in Toowoomba.

His first volume, "The Repentance of Magdalene Despar", was published in 1891. In 1892 and 1893 he was associated the production of an annual, "The Antipodean". A third number appeared in 1897. In 1898 Evans published "Loraine and Other Verses", and in 1901 he won a prize of £50 for his "Ode for Commonwealth Day".

Five years later "The Secret Key and Other Verses", which included part of the Loraine volume, was published. During the last two years of his life Evans did much writing for the Queensland Government on the resources of northern areas of the state. He died on November 10th, 1909 in Toowoomba and his grave may be found in the Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery.

He married Mrs Blanche Hopkins in 1899 and they had one son. An edition of his "Collected Verse" was published in 1928.