An Anthology of Australian Verse Part 36

Domett, "A Maori Girl's Song": "A very free paraphrase of a song in Sir George Grey's collection. `Ropa' is a declaration of love by pinching the fingers." -- Author's Note.

Stephens, "Day" & "Night": Stanzas from "Convict Once"

[pp. 336-7, 297-9 respectively of "Poetical Works" (1902)].

Foott, "Where the Pelican Builds": "The unexplored parts of Australia are sometimes spoken of by the bushmen of Western Queensland as the home of the Pelican, a bird whose nesting-place, so far as the writer knows, is seldom, if ever, found." -- Author's Note.

Foott, "New Country": `Gidya' -- a Queensland and N.S.W. aboriginal word for a tree of the acacia species (A. homalophylla).

`Clay-Pan' -- a shallow depression of the ground on Australian plains, whose thin clayey surface retains water for a considerable time.

Wilson, "Fairyland": `Parson Bird' -- The Tui, or New Zealand mocking bird.

The male has tufts of curled white feathers under the neck, like a clergyman's bands.

Farrell, "Australia to England": First printed, under the t.i.tle of "Ave Imperatrix", in `The Daily Telegraph' (Sydney), on June 22, 1897, the day of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

F. Adams, "Gordon's Grave": Adam Lindsay Gordon is buried in Brighton (Victoria) Cemetery. Above the grave is erected a shattered column crowned with a laurel wreath.

Evans, "A Pastoral": `Apple-tree' -- an indigenous Australian tree, so called from a supposed resemblance to the English apple-tree, but bearing no edible fruit.

O'Hara, "Flinders": `Flinders' -- Matthew Flinders first came to Australia with Ba.s.s and Hunter in 1795, and made several heroic voyages around Australian coasts.

Jephcott, "A Ballad of the last King of Thule": `Mannan' -- the ancient bardic name of the Isle of Man.

`Eire' -- the ancient name of Ireland.

`The Isle of Apple-trees' -- "Emhain Ablach", the Isle of Arran.

This was the land of faery to the Northern and Western Gaels.

Mackay, "The Burial of Sir John Mackenzie": `Sir John Mackenzie' -- Born 1838; for many years Minister for Lands in New Zealand. Died 1891.

Holy Hill -- Puketapu, a hill sacred to the Maoris on the Otago coast.

Lawson, "Andy's gone with Cattle": `Riders' -- timber used to hold down the bark roofs of primitive bush houses.

Lawson, "Out Back": `Mulga' -- an aboriginal name given to various trees of the acacia family (A. aneura).

Lawson, "The Star of Australasia": `Jackeroo' -- a "new chum", or person recently arrived in Australia, who goes to work on a station to gain experience.

`Push' -- a gang of larrikins, or city roughs.

Lawson, "Middleton's Rouseabout": `Rouseabout' -- a man who does general work on a station.

Lawson, "The Vagabond": `Flax' -- a native New Zealand plant yielding a strong fibre (Phormium tenax, N. O. Liliaceae).

`Tussock' -- a native gra.s.s, common in New Zealand (Lomandra longifolia).

R. Quinn, "The Lotus-Flower": `Harbour' -- Sydney Harbour.

Wright, "An Old Colonist's Reverie": `Whare' -- Maori name for a hut or house.

`Kowhai' -- the Locust tree (yellow Kowhai), and the Parrot-bill (scarlet Kowhai) -- N.Z. flowering trees.

`Rata' -- a remarkable New Zealand tree with crimson flowers (Metrosideros robusta), which often starts from a seed dropped in the fork of a tree, grows downward to the earth, and, taking root there, winds itself closely round the supporting tree and eventually destroys it.

Andersen, "Maui Victor": `Maui' -- In Polynesian mythology, the great hero who attempted to overcome Death, which could only be done by pa.s.sing through Hine-nui-te-po (Great Woman of Night).

This Maui attempted to do while she slept. Awakened, however, by the cry of a black fantail, she nipped Maui in two.

Wilc.o.x, "In London": `Weka' -- Maori name for the wood-hen, so called from its note "Weeka" (Ocydromus Australis).

`Bell-bird' -- the korimako (Anthornis Melanura).

`Koromiko' -- Veronica salicifolia.

`Manuka' -- the tea-tree (Leptospermum scoparium and L. ericoides).

Biographical Notes

The bibliographies include books of verse only.

[This information was compiled in or before 1907. -- A. L.]

Adams, Arthur H.

Born at Lawrence, Central Otago, New Zealand, 6th June, 1872.

Both parents colonial born; father of English, mother of Irish family.

Educated, High School, Christchurch, Wellington College and High School, Dunedin; thence with Scholars.h.i.+p to Otago University: graduated B.A.

Studied law; Journalist for three years; literary secretary to Mr. J. C. Williamson for two years. Went as war-correspondent to China through Boxer campaign. Visited London, 1902. Returned to Australia, 1905.

`Maoriland, and other Verses' (Sydney, 1899).

`The Nazarene' (London, 1902).

Adams, Francis William Lauderdale.

Born at Malta, 27th September, 1862; son of Prof. Leith Adams.

Educated at Shrewsbury School, England. In Australia, 1884-89.

Died at Margate, England, by his own hand, 4th September, 1893.

`Henry, and other Tales' (London, 1884).

`Poetical Works' (Brisbane and London, 1887).

`Songs of the Army of the Night' (Sydney, 1888; London, 1890, 1893, 1894).

`The Ma.s.s of Christ' (London, 1893).

`Tiberius, a Drama' (London, 1894).

Andersen, Johannes Carl.

Born at Jutland, Denmark, 14th March, 1873; came to New Zealand with his parents, October, 1874. Educated, New Zealand public schools.

Now in Government service, Christchurch.

`Songs Unsung' [Christchurch, n.d. (1903)].