Philip Joseph Holdsworth (12 January 1851 – 19 January 1902) was a poet and public servant in colonial New South Wales.[1]
Holdsworth was born in Sydney, the only son of Philip Risby Holdsworth, a respected boatbuilder, and his wife Kate (née Bevan).[2] From 1868 he held a position in the Treasury at Sydney; he later became Secretary to the Forest Department of New South Wales. He devoted his spare time to literature, and in 1885 published a volume of poems entitled, "Station Hunting on the Warrego, and other Poems".[2]
For several years Holdsworth was the Honorary Secretary of the Athenaeum Club of Sydney. He also held the position of editor of the Illustrated Sydney News for a considerable time. He also wrote a "Brief History of Australia," and a large number of poems, articles, and tales for current journals and reviews.[2]