Unbelievably, the former Nyngan man has won a spot in the finals of the AHA Great Pub songwriting competition 36 years after his passing.

“He wasn’t the type to draw attention to himself,” son Jim Edwards of Dubbo said.

It was Jim who gave his dad’s poem Womboin Wallop to work colleague and songwriter Patricia Cruzado who in collaboration with her partner Paul Bonner Jones entered the song at the “very last minute”.

“I just wanted to get my dad’s poems out there before I go,” Jim, who has been battling lung cancer, said.

“It’s amazing to see the first one get up in this competition.”

The poem, now a song, is based on the true story of two men having a blue at the Nyngan Hotel over money owed which took place in 1975.

One was a very tall man Strangie, while the other was a very short man, Trothy. Trothy is still alive today living in Nyngan.

“Every time I play the song to someone they can imagine being there watching it all happen,” Mr Edwards said.

“Dad had a great sense of humour, very witty. He’s probably smiling down on us silly buggers for doing this, but his poems are worthy of being recognised.”

Mr Edwards is planning to build a collection of poems to song and donate all proceeds to the Australian Lung Foundation (ALF) once they’re recorded with Steve Newton in Tamworth.

“I’m hoping to raise awareness because not everyone knows about the ALF and hopefully more research will go into lung cancer,” he said.

The AHA finals will be held at The Pub, Tamworth on Tuesday January 24 at 12pm, with 13 finalists competing for the prestigious award.

Womboin Wallop co-writer Paul Bonner Jones is set to perform the quirky, bush ballad.

That day also happens to be the late Jim Edwards’ birthday ... believe it or not.