David Rowbotham (27 August 1924- ) is an Australian poet whose long career has been notable for its breadth and energy. Rowbotham was born in the Darling Downs of Queensland, in the city of Toowoomba. he served in the Second World War on the Pacific front, attended the University of Queensland, and worked as a journalist for many years. A friend and mentor to many other Australian writers, Rowbotham also maintained extensive international connections, travelling frequently to the United States. Though lyrical in form, Rowbotham's poems are often concerned with history. After the publication of his Selected Poems by Penguin in 1994, covering a period of fifty years, Rowbotham entered a startling late period of productivity which culminated in the publication of the much-lauded Poems for America in 2002.