Frank’s working background has been for the most part in psychiatric nursing. His family came to Australia from Croatia in 1957, and after moving through the Bonegilla migrant camp process, settled temporarily in Stanley, then more permanently in the nearby gold-mining town of Beechworth.

Both his parents gained employment at the May Day Hills mental asylum, which, at its peak, housed up to 600 patients, and trained many young nurses like Frank to care for a wide range of psychiatric illnesses.

Frank has always had a love of words, but it wasn’t until his 40s that he dedicated himself to poetry and writing.

He’s been at it ever since.