Cirrus@Austlit

Peter Hopegood served as a soldier in WWI, and emigrated to Australia in 1924. He worked on a pearling boat in Broome, and as a jackeroo on cattle stations in north-west WA. On becoming a journalist and freelance writer, Hopegood found an outlet for exploring his fascination with mythology, and the potential links between the mythological beliefs of different cultures.

Hopegood wrote in the genres of journalism, poetry and autobiography. Much of his poetry is accompanied by lengthy notes and analysis, and reflects the importance of his poetic philosophy to his work.

Despite being perceived by his contemporaries as a major poet, Hopegood's work has been criticised for its mystical allusions, which, it is argued, make his poems less accessible.