William Baylebridge was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and was educated at home, at a state school and at Brisbane Grammar School. Baylebridge aspired to be a writer and in 1908 went to England. In England he lived with his mother's half-sister, Grace Leven, and was supported by his maternal grandmother for a short period. He published many limited editions of his poetry and constantly revised and republished many of his poems. After reportedly serving in World War I, he returned to Australia and continued to write, supported by his investments on the Stock Exchange. In 1922 he published An Anzac Muster, a collection of stories told in the manner of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. In 1934 he established the Tallabila Press and published the remainder of his works under that name.
Baylebridge's poetry has received a mixed reception from critics, but most see him as philosophical and intellectual poet. Influenced by Neitzsche, he formulated a philosophy of vitalism which he attempted to apply to Australian nationalism. Recent critics have examined An Anzac Muster as one of the first attempts to mythologize Gallipoli.
Baylebridge died in 1942, leaving money to produce his collected works and establish an annual prize for poetry in memory of Grace Leven.
See also: Nancy Bonnin, 'Baylebridge, William (1883 - 1942)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, pp 218-219.
