He also serves as a lyrical alternative to his contemporary bush balladists of Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, and Will H.

[1] Daley was born at the Navan, County Meath, Ireland,[note 1] and was educated at the Christian Brothers at Devonport in England.

Daley died at his home in Waitara, Sydney of tuberculosis and was buried in the Roman Catholic section of Waverley Cemetery.

[3] His work was not considered particularly Australian in nature, but quite lyrical,[2] with 'natural delicacy of expression, graceful imagery, and refinement of language'.

[5] When he died, Scottish-Australian poet and bush balladeer Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963) penned:[6][7] A memoir of Daley by Bertram Stevens was published in Wine and Roses.