Dugald McLachlan was born at 'Branxholme' near Hamilton in Victoria's Western District. He began farm work as a fourteen year old, but soon took up work with the government, becoming a trained teacher by 1893. His first school was in the Mallee and he also taught for a time in Western Australia before returning to Victoria. While in the west, McLachlan published some pieces in Clare's Weekly and the Daily News.
The majority of McLachlan's work was published in the Bulletin under the initials 'L. M. D.'. McLachlan used this pen name because the Victorian Department of Education refused him permission to write for the Bulletin. McLachlan found his inspiration 'amongst the bush-girls, hunted for it on moonlit nights, looked for it in sport ... chased it anywhere and everywhere, rode thousands of miles for it, danced in pursuit of it, and averaged 2/6 a week on the results'.
Source: A. G. Stephens (ed.) Australian Autobiographies, vol.2.
