He was an Australian activist, educator, poet, journalist, and author of several law books and poetry books. O'Dowd worked as an assistant-librarian and later Chief Parliamentary Draughtsman in the Supreme Court at Melbourne for 48 years,he was also a co-publisher and writer for the radical paper Tocsin. Bernard O'Dowd lived to age 87.
Education
Bernard was educated at Pennell's private school at Beaufort, Snake Valley State School, and Soldiers' Hill and Mount Pleasant State schools, Ballarat.
While at Ballarat he was one of three students selected to meet the Irish rebels John and William Redmond.
Career
Bernard O'Dowd's official career had remained distinct from his poetic and political activities. As an activist, he had joined the Theosophical Society