[Editor: A poem published in The Mercury (Fitzroy), 1 January 1876.]
The Wattle Tree.
O reader, did you over look upon
Or rest awhile beneath our “Wattle tree”?
Its golden canopy of blossoms sweet,
Perfumes the air around so pleasantly!
No other tree is truly loved so well,
Or — may be — never thought of half so long:
Oft in its branches, loud and wild is heard
The careless magpie’s ringing, happy song.
A lovely and a pleasant treat it is,
Surpassing many noble joys besides,
To gaze unhindered on its beauty fair,
And ’neath its shadow sometimes to abide.
O prized it is by aged and by young;
It quickly grows, and is of beauty rare;
What other tree, in all the forest wide,
Can with our favourite — for aye — compare?
A.C.N.
Acacia pycnantha, commonly known as the “Golden Wattle.” It is highly prized for its blossoms, which are of a rich golden colour, and grow in dense masses. This species grows plentifully in Victoria, especially near the sea coast.
Source:
The Mercury (Fitzroy, Vic.), 1 January 1876, p. 5
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