C. J. DennisPrint Page 
The cairn commemorates author C. J. Dennis (1876 - 1938) who lived and wrote The Sentimental Bloke in Toolangi.
C. J. Dennis was born in Auburn and was the author of `Songs of a Sentimental Bloke` which was published in mid-October 1915. By 5 November 1915 the first edition of 2,480 copies (of which 2,166 were for sale) was sold out. A second edition of 5,000 copies in November also rapidly sold out, as did a third published on 3 December 1915. After nine months the book had sold approximately 51,000 copies.
Later this grew to 66,148 copies of the book sold in Australia and New Zealand alone and did not include the totals for any copies of the editions published in Britain, Canada or the USA. The Bloke struck a nerve with Australian audiences and by September 1916 they had been dramatised for the stage, were performed in Sydney and Melbourne and were probably as popular as it was possible to be at that time.
On 9th October 1916 Dennis published `The Moods of Ginger Mick` based on a character from The Sentimental Bloke which was to sell 42,349 copies within six months. Dennis had become, by sales and by general sentiment, the Laureate of the Larrikin, and the best-known poet in Australia.
Memorial Cairn Unveiling 1952Location
| Address: | Healesville - Kinglake Road, Singing Gardens Tearooms , Toolangi, 3777 |
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| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.539667 Long: 145.475278 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Arts |
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| Designer: | Meet Your Writers Organization |
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| Monument Manufacturer: | Mr. Watson (Toolangi, VIC) |
| Link: | http://adb.anu.edu.au/ |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 2nd November, 1952 |
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| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: |
"Arden"
In this house C. J. Dennis 1876 - 1938 poet lived and wrote "The Sentimental Bloke"
Erected by Meet Your Writers Organization
1952
