Francis Webb

Francis Charles Webb-Wagg (8 February 1925 – 23 November 1973) was an Australian poet who published under the name Francis Webb. Diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia in the 1950s, he spent most of his adult life in and out of psychiatric hospitals. His output was prolific and his work has often been published in anthologies. Early life Francis Webb was born in Adelaide. His father was a musician, Director of the North Sydney Academy of Music before moving to Adelaide where he became the owner of a piano importing business in Grenfell Street. His mother was a socialite with a keen interest in horse racing. She died when he was two years old, and his father was hospitalised a year later. In 1928, Webb and his three sisters (Mavis, Claudia, and Leonie) were sent to live with their paternal grandparents, Charles and Amy Webb-Wagg, in Sydney. Webb wrote his first poems as a birthday present for his paternal grandmother when he was seven years old, under the tutelage of an aunt who died before she could see them in print. When Webb was 14 years old his much loved grandfather died. Webb's first major individual publication came with the appearance of 'Palace of Dreams' in The Bulletin (10 June 1942).