Smoky Dawson AM, MBE (19 March 1913 – 13 February 2008), born as Herbert Henry Brown, was an Australian singer-songwriter and musician, who performed western and folk music with a tinge of country, he was a radio and television presenter, entertainer, and icon.

He was widely touted as Australia's first singing cowboy complete with acoustic steel string guitar and yodel, in the style of Americans Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.

Through his high-rating syndicated radio serials (at their height broadcast on 100 stations), The Adventures of Smoky Dawson, as well as television appearances, comic books and songs he created the persona of a happy-go-lucky singing cowboy.

Dawson did his own version of "Wild Colonial Boy", rewriting the words and music with American country singer Glen Campbell.

[2][3] His father, Parker Frederick Peter Brown (21 November 1884 – 1957), was a labourer of Irish descent;[4][5][6] his mother, Olive "Amy" Muir (ca.

[5][10] Parker Dawson enlisted in the Australian Army in June 1915 and fought at Gallipoli from October until January 1916 and also served in Borneo.

[7] At the age of thirteen Dawson left the orphanage to join his older brother, Peter, working on a farm at Stewarton (about 8 miles (13 km) from Goorambat).

[21] In 1941 when the Japanese forces approached Australia, he enlisted as a non-combatant nursing orderly and was commandeered by the First Australian Army Entertainment Unit.

[14][17] Western Mail's Louis Clark, described Dawson as an "Australian outback songster" and the unit as "an array of genius".

[24] Aside from music, Dawson would also perform at rodeos, circuses and country shows demonstrating his skill at knife-throwing using machetes, commando knives, tomahawks, or two-edged axes.

[16] Dawson travelled around Australia for eight months a year while Dot remained behind as Auntie June on her own radio show for 3KZ.

[16] In March 1951 Dawson, as a cowboy entertainer, narrated a documentary film, directed by Rudall Hayward, on Australian rough riders at a Kyabram rodeo, which was to be broadcast on United States TV.

[26] Dawson sang a self-written song praising their skills and noted "there's nothing half-baked about Australian rodeos or the boys who ride in them.

[7] When Dawson returned to Australia in September 1952 he was hailed as an "Australian singing 'cowboy' who has made good in the US at the expense of the world's best".

A related comic book of the same name was published from 1953 to 1962 and both featured "Dawson's persona [which] became 'Australia's favourite cowboy', with his faithful sidekick Jingles, his horse Flash and their young friend Billy fighting the evil outlaw Grogan, adhering to Smoky's 'code of the west', pausing for a song, a moral and sometimes a bowl of cornflakes, courtesy of the program's sponsor".

[14] In 1957 he founded the Smoky Dawson Ranch on 26 acres (11 ha) farm at Ingleside as a venue to host country music shows, a horse riding school and a holiday camp for children.

[32] In 1988 he appeared in two episodes of TV soap opera, A Country Practice, as a drifter, "Charlie McKeahnie", who passes through the fictional location of Wandin Valley and proposes to town gossip, "Esme Watson" (portrayed by Joyce Jacobs).

[22] He was survived by his wife, Florence "Dot" Dawson, an elocutionist, radio actress and presenter, who died on 27 October 2010 at 104 years of age.

On 31 December 1982 Dawson was awarded an Order of the British Empire – Member (Civil) with the citation, "In recognition of service to country music".

[41][42] Powerhouse Museum described him as "a singer, showman, songwriter, scriptwriter, knife and double-headed axe thrower and all round performer who has lived a long life entertaining audiences.

The following year Dawson and Knight won a second Golden Guitar for their song, "High Country", as Best Vocal Duo or Group.