Page 1165 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 24 June 1992
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MR HUMPHRIES: I am sure. The poetry is pretty fine, so I assume that we can say that about the man himself - and I assume that it is a man. He was a member of the 4th Battery, Australian Field Artillery, who served at Gallipoli.
Mr Kaine: And probably born in England.
MR HUMPHRIES: Probably born in England, yes.
Mr Lamont: No, he was actually born in Australia.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Lamont speaks with authority about this, so I will take his word for it.
Mr Kaine: He came from Braidwood, did he, David?
Mr Lamont: No; but, if he had known it was there, he would have.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr Humphries has the floor.
MR HUMPHRIES: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The poem reads:
My mother's letter came today,
And now my thoughts are far away,
For in between its pages lay
A little sprig of wattle.
There is another one that is selective as between different Australian plants, and I might support part of that because I do not have much affection for some Australian plants. Another poem is by Amy Mack, who I think we can conclude fairly conclusively was a woman, in A Book of Australian Verse for Boys and Girls published in 1916. It reads:
The Wattle is a lady, in her yellow satin gown,
The Gum-tree is a gentleman, with suit of green and brown,
The Hakea is a crosspatch, and he'll scratch you if he can,
The Cabbage Tree's a vain coquette, with every leaf a fan.
As I said, I have a very long poem about other Australian plants that I dislike; but I will not read that today. I do indicate that it is a wonderful idea Mrs Grassby has brought forward, and I believe that we on this side of the chamber can support it.
MR LAMONT (11.37): Madam Speaker, I rise appropriately after Mr Humphries, on the basis of the eloquence of the poetry he read, because that will constitute the major part of my address on this matter. I think it is appropriate that we come to recognise the importance of the wattle to Australia's history. It has been a magnificent emblem of all those things that have made Australia. There is a poem Mrs Grassby referred to called Freedom on the Wallaby.
Mr Humphries: The wattleby?
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