Geoff Page is the son of Donald and Helen Page; the family's connection with the Clarence River district goes back to the mid nineteenth century. Page's grandfather, Sir Earle Page (q.v), founded the conservative Country Party (renamed the National Party). Page has been an active Labor Party supporter. He was educated at the Armidale School and the University of New England 1958-1962. In 1959 he spent a year in National Service. Page moved to Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, in 1964, and taught English and History in Canberra schools. He was in charge of the English Department at Narrabundah College from 1974 until his retirement in 2001. Page has been writer-in-residence at a number of academic institutions, including Edith Cowan University, Curtin University, the Australian Defence Force Academy, and the University of Wollongong.
Active in the literary community, Page participated in poetry readings, seminars and conferences in Australia, China, Europe, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States. As well as editing a number of anthologies and collections, he wrote a musical biography, Bernie McGann: A Life in Jazz (1997) and interviewed a wide range of jazz musicians for the National Film and Sound Archive. Page is an amateur jazz drummer. He has reviewed poetry for major Australian journals and newspapers and has been a regular contributor to the ABC Radio Books and Writing program. Page's poetry has regularly appeared in a wide range of journals, newspapers and anthologies. His verse continually reaffirms the personal significance of the Clarence River area, and underlines its pivotal role in creating a sense of place in Page's work and life. Old age and death recur as themes through much of his poetry, as does the clash between Aboriginal and English culture during the settlement period, and an exploration of the poet's family history and relationships.
Page has published in the areas of poetry, fiction, non-fiction and criticism, and has written literary criticism and drama for radio, television and the stage. His unpublished plays include 'The Life and Death of James Lionel Michael : solicitor and poet' [n.d.], 'Sally Rivers' All Girl Band' (1990) and 'Drumming on Water' (2006).
Page has been nominated (and won) several awards for both published and unpublished works including The Patrick White Award in 2001, shortlisted for Manning Clark House National Cultural Awards — Axel Clark Memorial Prize for Poetry for the unpublished poem 'The Worrier', the ACU Prize for Literature — Poetry Prize for 'Charles S. Ryan to Alice E. Sumner' in 2017, and second place in the 2019 ACU Prize for Literature — Poetry Prize for 'Single Women in their Later'.
Australian Poetry Library Author Entry