[Editor: A poem by “Kookaburra”, attacking the work (or lack thereof) of Andrew Robertson (Member of the Legislative Assembly, Victoria, 1903-1924). Published in The Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser and Diamond Creek Valley Advocate, 13 April 1917.]
Our Member.
Have we really got a member?
Well! I never knew we had.
Sure, I thought he had expired,
For they said his health was bad.
But his health was always middling,
That, his friends do now admit,
For when work requires doing
Andy’s never really fit.
He’d a chance to save old Epping,
But he simply let it slide,
For it mattered not to Andy
If the Epping Shire died.
It was left to willing Angliss,
Membrey, Cameron too, ye ken,
For to board the mighty Hagel
In his fearsome, thorny den.
We want something for our money,
But if this is all we get,
We’d be better represented
By a little suffragette.
She at least would do her duty,
And her zeal would never tire.
But while Andy takes the dollars
He does nothing for his hire.
But he’s just been renovated,
After spelling quite a while,
And he’ll be a likely starter
In the Parliamentary Mile.
He’ll be asking for some favors
In his self-assertive way.
So be sure you don’t forget him
When it comes to polling day.
He can take a hint from Woodrow,
And send out some little notes,
But he musn’t come to Epping
Asking for the cockies’ votes;
He’ll be reconsigned to Bacchus
Where the irrigators are,
For to practise gravitation
While he studies for the Bar,
— Kookaburra.
Source:
The Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser and Diamond Creek Valley Advocate (Evelyn, Vic.), Friday 13 April 1917, page 3
Editor’s notes:
Andy = Andrew Robert Robertson, born in Bacchus Marsh (Victoria), later owning property there; Member of the Legislative Assembly, Victoria, 1903-1924; representing West Bourke from June 1903 to May 1904, then representing Bulla from June 1904 to May 1924 [see: “Robertson, Andrew Robert”, Parliament of Victoria (accessed 20 April 2014)]
Angliss = William Angliss, Member of the Legislative Council, Victoria, 1912 to 1952
See: 1) “Angliss, Sir William Charles”, Parliament of Victoria (accessed 20 April 2014)
2) E. A. Beever, “Angliss, Sir William Charles (1865–1957)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University (accessed 20 April 2014)
Cameron = James Cameron (born in Logie-Almond, Perthshire), Member of the Legislative Assembly, Victoria, representing Gippsland East from June 1902 to September 1920 [see: “Cameron, James”, Parliament of Victoria (accessed 20 April 2014)]
Hagel = Frederick William Hagelthorn, Member of the Legislative Council, Victoria, 1907 to 1919 [see: “Hagelthorn [Hageltorn], Frederick William”, Parliament of Victoria (accessed 20 April 2014)]
ken = knowledge, perception, understanding (also means “know”, as particularly used in Scotland)
Membrey = James George Membrey, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Victoria, 1907-1917, representing Jika Jika from March 1907 to October 1917 [see: “Membrey, James George”, Parliament of Victoria (accessed 20 April 2014)]
musn’t = an incorrect spelling of “mustn’t” (a contraction of “must not”, which is pronounced “musn’t”, hence the common misspelling)
The Institute of Australian Culture
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