Mr C. J. Dennis, author of "The Sentimental Bloke" and creator of "Ben Bowyang" in The Herald, is 58 today. The son of a master mariner, and a native of Auburn, South Australia, he left home early and roamed Australia as wool clerk, auctioneer's assistant, miner, bush carpenter, kangaroo hunter, poet, writer and editor. His experiences enabled him to see the fine side of human nature in the outback, as reflected in much that he has written in prose and verse. There, also, he met many characters he has used, including the incomparable Ben. He started writing verse as a boy, and, after editing The Critic, Adelaide, founded The Gadfly, an Adelaide satirical weekly. Later he came to Melbourne, and for many years has been associated with The Herald.

Herald, 7 September 1934, p7