John Laws, better known as a journalist and broadcaster than as a poet, was educated at Mosman Preparatory School and Knox Grammar School, Sydney. He began his media career as radio announcer on 3BO in Bendigo in 1953 and worked at several other country radio stations prior to joining 2UE in 1957. Between 1959 and 1988, when he rejoined 2UE, Laws worked for a number of regional, city and syndicated radio stations including 2SM, the Newcastle station 2KO, 2GB and 2UW. John Laws has won many radio awards of excellence including a special award from the Federation of Australian Radio Broadcasters for his broadcasting excellence and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Producers and Directors Guild of Australia. After a 55 year career Laws gave his last show on radio 2UE in November 2007.
Laws has figured prominently in other areas of the Australian media besides radio. He has hosted national television series, has written columns for Sydney newspapers and has recorded several albums of country music. As well as his volumes of poetry and anecdotes, Laws has published the John Laws' Barbecue Cookbook (1996), a book of real-life anecdotes of Australian life and people (with Christopher Stewart) There's Always More to the Story (2004)and a video entitled John Laws: In One Lifetime (1997) which traces the people and events that made Australia in the twentieth century. He also co-starred alongside actress Googie Withers in the 1971 film, The Nickel Queen (q.v.)
Publisher and critic Michael Duffy has described John Laws as a 'rare phenomenon, a voice of the masses' and 'one of the prominent people who still speak for the working and lower middle classes'. Duffy comments on his 'ability as an entertainer and a communicator' and his 'the marvelous voice which manages to combine arrogance and vigour with elements of conscious self-parody' ('In Praise of John Laws' Independent Monthly November 1994).
John Laws is known work for charity and for 'his passionate interest in motor sports, motorcycling, writing, reading, tennis, rural pursuits, photography, antique furniture, works of art and sculpture, timepieces and first collector's editions of books' (http://www.mediaman.com.au/profiles/laws1.html sighted 19/10/2005).
