Poet named as finalist

Empire Bay resident Mr Peter Mace has been named as a finalist in next year's Australian Bush Laureate Awards in Tamworth.

Mr Mace's poem Lost With All Hands has been selected for the Single Recorded Performance of the Year Award.

The poem tells the story of the HMAS Sydney's loss and the discovery of its wreck off the coast of Western Australia.

Other nominees in the Single Recorded Performance of the Year category include Jim Brown, Gary Fogarty, Geoffrey W Graham and Murray Hartin.

Winners of the Bush Laureate Awards will be announced at a special presentation in the Tamworth Town Hall on January 20.

Mr Mace has been asked to perform his award nominated poem at the ceremony.

The Australian Bush Laureate Awards were launched in 1996 to encourage, promote and recognise excellence in Australian Bush Poetry.

Each January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, a major presentation concert is staged where the highly sought-after Golden Gumleaf trophies are presented to Australia's finest bush poets.

All nominations must be commercially released and are judged on such criteria as quality of verse, presentation and production, entertainment value and Australian character of the verse.

Website, 17 Dec 2008 Australian Bush Laureate Awards