Brief Biography

Hal Gye was born in Ryde, Sydney in 1888 and worked as a law clerk before moving to Melbourne. There he met C.J. Dennis and began a long association with the poet, producing covers and interior illustrations for all of Dennis's works after Backblock Ballads and Other Verses. His artwork appeared in a number of publications such as the Bulletin, the Melbourne Punch, and the Sydney Daily Telegraph. In later years (from 1936) Gye wrote the 'Father' series of short stories for the Bulletin and published two collections of short fiction. Hal Gye died in 1967.

Short Story Collections
Father Clears Out 1966
The Hole in the Bedroom Floor 1969

Biography
Hal Gye: The Man and his Work 1986, by Elizabeth Lane

Under the pseudonym 'James Hackston', Gye wrote the following poems about C.J. Dennis:
"Den" - A Memory
The Dennis Omelette

Many years after Dennis's death Gye wrote a piece about how Dennis went about his daily work.

And here are a selection of poems written under the pseudonym 'James Hackston' but which do not relate to Dennis:
Our Corrugated-Iron Tank