TODAY marks the 150th anniversary of the death of famous poet and horseman Adam Lindsay Gordon.
Gordon lived in the Limestone Coast for a little over a decade and was just 36 years of age when he suicided on June 24, 1870 in Melbourne.
However, his legend lives on after he left a significant mark on the region.
Gordon was born in 1833 and studied in England, but according to Limestone Coast history group member Brian Brooksby, the poet had a reputation as a trouble-maker.
“He used to wag school and go to the races,” Mr Brooksby said.
“He even borrowed a stranger’s horse a couple of times and rode in the races.”
Aged 20, Gordon moved halfway across the world to Australia and gained a position in the South Australian police force.
He was stationed at Penola, but resigned two years later to focus on horse breaking and poetry.
The move started a significant period of Gordon’s life.
He brought a 101 acre property at Dingley Dell where he wrote some of his most iconic poems.
But for the majority of Gordon’s life, the wider community was not aware of his work.
Mr Brooksby said it was not until The Border Watch started publishing poems in the final years of Gordon’s life, the English-born Australian became a celebrated artist.
“The Border Watch published a lot of his work, but most were not revealed for many years,” he said.
“So he was not really recognised by people in the arts area until after his death.”
Despite the slow trek to writing fame, Gordon was already a highly-respected figure around the Limestone Coast.
He was elected to Parliament in 1865 and was influential behind the original hospital, while his daring and fearless horseback feats turned him into a champion rider.
Gordon became the only person to claim three victories in a Melbourne steeplechase, but his most incredible achievement took place at Mount Gambier.
Just one day after witnessing a rival ride into the steep Devil’s Punchbowl, Gordon decided to attempt a life-threatening stunt.
While riding along what is now known as Bay Road, Gordon took a sharp turn left and charged towards the Blue Lake’s steep cliff face.
He jumped his horse over the fence and quickly landed on a narrow ledge before jumping back to safety.
Brooksby said Gordon took great pleasure from horse riding and performed crazy stunts to feel superior among his peers.
“Adam Lindsay was a good rider and it was a form of income and enjoyment for him,” he said.
“If someone had done something on the back of a horse, he would like to outdo them.
“There was a lot of competition between the riders – especially those in the steeplechase.”
However, Gordon’s hobby came at a significant cost.
He suffered some nasty falls over his journey and his eyesight faded as a result.
But while recuperating from an incident, Gordon met his wife Maggie and the couple had one child, Annie.
Two years before his death, a bad fall rendered Gordon unconscious for 10 days.
When he woke, he learnt Annie had died from an unforeseen medical issue.
Moving to Victoria, increasing financial pressure took its toll on Gordon, who claimed his own life at the crack of dawn 150 years ago.
Despite being an eccentric figure, Brooksby said Gordon should be remembered as a standout figure of his time.
“Even though a lot of people thought he was a bit loose at times, he was a highly respected poet and rider,” he said.
“He has contributed a lot to poetry and is an important part of our history.”
People can celebrate Gordon’s legacy by visiting an obelisk at the site of his famous jump near the Blue Lake or a tablet at Vansittart Park.
THE LIFE OF ADAM LINDSAY GORDON
1833: Adam Lindsay Gordon was born in the Azores region of Portugal.
1841: Attends Cheltenham College in England before moving to a number of schools, including the Royal Military Academy.
1853: Moves to Australia, joins the Police in Penola.
1855: Resigned from the Police and moves to Mount Gambier.
1857: Gordon’s father dies.
1859: Gordon’s mother dies and he writes about the wreck of SS Admella.
1861: Poem first published in The Border Watch.
1862: Marries wife Maggie
1864: Purchased Dingley Dell property and performed the Blue Lake leap.
1865: Stands for Parliament.
1866: Resigns from Parliament.
1867: Daughter Annie is born, but dies 10 months later.
1870: A number of poems are published and Gordon suicides.
