A. R. D. (Rex) Fairburn was one of the leading New Zealand poets of the 1930s-50s, yet also a prolific miscellaneous prose writer, a keen landscape painter, at various times a functionary for the Auckland branch of the Farmers’ Union, a handyman, an advocate for organic gardening, a fabric printer, a university tutor in English, and an art school lecturer. He was an ardent walker, golfer, solo yachtsman and (preferably nude) swimmer, and his poetry often reflects his empathy with the countryside around and north of Auckland, and with the surrounding sea. A tall man with a robust physique, he had an expansive personality, a love for debating ideas, and a wide range of friendships. In an era in which New Zealand was witnessing the emergence of small, widely dispersed yet vital networks of…
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Citation: Ross, John C.. "A. R. D. Fairburn". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 October 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1472, accessed 17 October 2024.]
