Not having any personal connection with Cynthia Rowe, I’m very grateful to Vanessa Proctor, Cynthia’s successor as AHS President in 2016, for providing the following tribute to her.
The comments section at the foot of this page will remain open until 20th May for you to add your personal reflections and tributes to an influential Australian haiku poet who shared her passion for haiku with so many around the world.
Leanne Mumford
Cynthia Leigh Rowe (nee Jones)
1938 – 2025
Cynthia Rowe was born in Melbourne where she lived until 2000, when she moved with her husband, Bruce, to Sydney. Cynthia had a lifelong love of education and language, both English and French. From a young age she wrote poetry and plays. Working as a French and English teacher informed Cynthia’s writing, with much of it inspired by young people. She went on to write eight young adult novels. Cynthia was a perfectionist in all her endeavours.
Cynthia was passionate about haiku and she was a fine poet with a particular way of seeing the world, winning many awards for her work. Among her awards were 1st place in the Thirteenth Annual Paper Wasp Jack Stamm Haiku Award 2011 and 1st place in the 2015 World Haiku Contest. early morning heat, a renku written with John Carley, Sandra Simpson, William Sorlien and Lorin Ford, was First Place Winner in the Bernard Lionel Einbond Renku Competition in 2013. A selection of Cynthia’s awarded poems can be found at The Living Haiku Anthology. She was widely published internationally, with her love of travel often finding its way into her work.
Cynthia published three poetry collections: ‘Driftwood’ Ginninderra Press (2010); ‘Floating Nest’ Rebus Press (2014) [First Prize Poetry in The Society of Women Writers NSW 2016 Book Awards]; ‘Stone Circles’ Snapshot Press (2017).
Cynthia was a valued member of the Sydney haiku group the Red Dragonflies and it was always enjoyable to go to her elegant home in Woollahra when meetings were held there. Cynthia was President of the Australian Haiku Society from 2011 until 2016, but possibly her greatest influence was as haiku editor of FreeXpresSion, where, over a period of fifteen years, she connected with many regular contributors from around the world.
Cynthia led a creative life. She was not only interested in writing, but was also a keen photographer, combining haiku and image in haiga. She had an interest in fashion and jewellery, and even made her own jewellery.
Her work was being published in journals right up until her death in April. Cynthia has left a legacy of fine work and through her poetry we will continue to remember her.
low tide
a butterfly settles
in her footprint1
Vanessa Proctor
- Special Mention 6th Kokako Haiku & Senryu Competition 2011 ↩︎
Australian Haiku Society 
a butterfly finds
It’s place in the sun
Garden of Eden
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The haiku world will miss a beautiful soul rich with her contributions. My condolences to the family! May her soul rest in peace.
Lakshmi Iyer , India
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Cynthia’s beautiful poems will live on in our hearts. My condolences to her family and friends.
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It was sad to hear of Cynthia’s passing. I had the good fortune to meet Cynthia on a couple of occasions and to engage with her many times on haiku matters. Cynthia was a positive spirit and generous in helping me with my own writing, for which I’m most grateful. My condolences go to Cynthia’s family, friends and all those who knew her.
This haiku of Cynthia’s appeared in Kokako 42 (April 2025):
wild jasmine
your fingers entwined
with mine
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