Niland was natural within Glen Innes, New South Wales. He married a ex-patrick cooper New Zealand author Ruth Park in 1942.

Niland's better known function is The Shiralee, which portrayed an Australian swagman named Macauley and his girl. It was published inside 1955. A Shiralee was manufactured into the moving-picture show of the equivalent title inside 1957 (starring Peter Finch - see The Shiralee), and the mini-series coroneted ''Macauley's Girl inside 1988. Niland as well collected the series of Australian folk songs under the title Traveling songs of old Australia'' (1966).