Origins & Early Life

Leslie Allan Murray (17 October 1938 – 29 April 2019) was an Australian poet, anthologist and critic. His career spanned over 40 years and he published nearly 30 volumes of poetry as well as two verse novels and collections of his prose writings. Translations of Murray's poetry have been published in 11 languages: French, German, Italian, Catalan, Spanish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Hindi, Russian, and Dutch. Murray's poetry won many awards and he is regarded as "the leading Australian poet of his generation".

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was rated in 1997 by the National Trust of Australia as one of the 100 Australian Living Treasures. Leslie Allan Murray was born on 17 October 1938, in Nabiac, New South Wales, and grew up in nearby Bunyah. He attended primary and early high school in Nabiac and then Taree High School. At age 18, while watching mayflies along the river, Murray decided to become a poet. In 1957, Murray entered the University of Sydney in the Faculty of Arts and joined the Royal Australian Navy Reserve to obtain a small income.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Speaking about this time to Clive James he said: "I was as soft-headed as you could imagine. I was actually hanging on to childhood because...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ahn Chang Ho — Contemporary (Died in 1938) (1938): Pioneering Korean independence activist and leader of the Korean-American community.
• Alan Bond — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Australian businessman known for high-profile dealings, the America's Cup, and founding Bond University.
• Albert Fert — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering physicist known for the discovery of giant magnetoresistance.
• Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — Contemporary (Died in 2019) (2019): Iraqi militant leader and founder of the Islamic State (IS)
• Agnès Varda — Contemporary (Died in 2019) (2019): Pioneering French filmmaker, artist, and documentarian celebrated for her unique vision.
• Akihito — Contemporary (Died in 2019) (2019): 125th Emperor of Japan; reigned during the Heisei era (1989-2019).
• Adam Michnik — Shared historical date (10-17 · Born) (1946): Prominent Polish intellectual, dissident, and journalist advocating for democracy.
• Al-Suyuti — Shared historical date (10-17 · Died) (1505): Egyptian Sunni polymath, renowned for authorship across nearly all Islamic sciences.
• Al-Qurtubi — Shared historical date (04-29 · Died) (1273): Polymath jurist and scholar renowned for Tafsir al-Qurtubi in Al-Andalus.
• Albert Hofmann — Shared historical date (04-29 · Died) (2008): Swiss chemist renowned for synthesizing LSD and pioneering psychedelic research.
• 1938 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1938
• October 17 (10-17) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 17
• 2019 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2019
• April 29 (04-29) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 29