Robinson, Roland (1912 - 1992)

Kahan, Louis: Portrait of Roland Robinson, 1966

Research Materials | Other Resources

Born in County Clare, Ireland, writer and poet Roland Robinson came to Australia in 1921. His formal education was brief and he worked in various jobs, mainly in the bush as a rouseabout, boundary-rider, railway fettler, fencer, dam-builder and gardener.

In the 1940s he took classes with Helene Kirsova and appeared in a number of productions by the Kirsova Ballet. He wrote about his dance experiences in the first part of his autobiography, The drift of things: an autobiography, 1914-1952, published in 1973. During the 1950s and 1960s Robinson was dance critic for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Robinson's first published poetry appeared in Beyond the Grass-Tree Spears published in 1944. His love of the Australian landscape and everyday scenes were inspiration for his poetry and he was committed to the Jindyworobak Movement. He also wrote extensively about Aboriginal myths and legends.

See also: Kirsova Ballet ; Kirsova, Helene

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Research Materials

Ephemera | Oral history | Picture | All

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Other resources

Find more about Robinson, Roland in:

• Internet - Google
• Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
• Pictures - Picture Australia