E.T. Shorley: First World War lyricist and poet digital story

State Library commissioned a digital story - 30945 E.T. Shorley: First World War lyricist and poet digital story 2017 - to explore the homefront contribution of central Queensland lyricist and poet E.T. (Ezra Thomas) Shorley, and the play The Optimist, by Rockhampton music teacher and playwright Janet Stevenson, who received a Regional Arts Development Fund grant in 1915 to research and dramatise Shorley's story. The Optimist was staged in Rockhampton, Mount Morgan and Emu Park in the lead-up to Anzac Day 2016, and is a unique interpretation of Shorley’s life, and a creative commemoration of the First World War in Queensland.

Mr. Shorley emigrated from the United Kingdom aged 19, and lived around Rockhampton, Mount Morgan and the Ulam district. Although his background was in farming, Shorley composed poems, lyrics and some music, and published more than twenty songs towards the end of the First World War and into the 1920s.

E. T. Shorley was a recruiting sergeant during the war, and two of his sons enlisted. Clide Leslie (service #4906) enlisted 28 September 1915 aged 21, and served with 15th Infantry Battalion.

Source: C.L. Shorley, one of the soldiers featured in The Queenslander 1916. Image: 702692-160708-s0024-0002

Shorley's other son Alfred Daniel (service #5477) enlisted 1 January 1916, aged 23, and served with 9th Infantry Battalion.

The photograph of Pte A.E. Shorley, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.T. Shorley, during WWII was sourced in The Central Queensland Herald (Rockhampton) 21 August 1941, p.19

State Library holds a number of E.T. Shorley's pieces, some of which have a wartime theme.

In addition to lyrics, Shorley wrote poetry, and published some of his works in the volume Poetic reflections in rhyme and reason in 1937.

To see more of State Library's QANZAC100 digital stories, look on our YouTube and Vimeo channels.

Robyn Hamilton - QANZAC100 Content Curator, State Library of Queensland