ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

‘Day All,
I have a book containing about 100 poems. I do not know if it is unusual, rare, or just not been around. The title is ‘Under The Wilgas’ by Mary Gilmore and the reading is a little bit specialised (heavy) for me.
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FOREWORD
A limited number of the verses in this book having appeared in the Bulletin, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Daily Telegraph, The Triad, The Australian Worker, Aussie and The B.P. Magazine, to these, and to any others not mentioned, in republication, acknowledgements is here made.
For the rest only this need be said:-
Among other things urged in self-justification for killing the blacks, it used to be argued of them that they did not speak English. “They talk gibberish. Gibberish is not a language, and God would only count it animal talk.” So, as one who often heard that said (as in later years it has in various ways been more or less said of the South Americans and the Chinese), I have attempted to write here in songs some of the emotions of a people once generous, once wise, once proud and free; and I have written them in words they might have used, had they spoken English instead of the language so unfortunately theirs.
M. G.
Phillip Street,
Sydney,
1932
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This might give an idea as to the contents and there is also a short poem to Henry Lawson that I did like –

“As weeds grow out of graves and vaults,
So from his broken heart his faults;
And yet, so marvellous is power,
His very faults brought forth in flower.”

If any members of our group are interested in studying this book I am happy to pass it around.

Ian.

Sounds very interesting.

I remember reading her saying that her grandfather was run out of town for "refusing to kill the blacks".

'Day Stephen,
I am eventually back on line, had some logging-in problems.

This book is all poetry. There are 2 other books of Mary Gilmore's writings that I have seen in Hornsby Library (NSW 2077) some years ago, not finding the books on the shelf I asked the Librarian for them. She said they are in "the stack" and looked at me very carefully to see what sort of vandal I might be, then asked me to wait.

One book was also called 'Under The Wilgas' - which may have that reference to her grandfather, I do not remember, but I copied two pages referring to animal sanctuaries which the Aboriginies carefully tendered and monitored ".....death was the penalty for anyone without authority being found in them; no one was allowed to hunt or disturb the animals especially when the females were with young......"
From the other book called 'Old Days Old Ways', I have copied two pages on how the Aboriginies taught young Mary to count! ".....but the little aboriginal children of the same age still kept on counting group-thousands. And what scorn they felt for my stupidity in not being able to keep up with them even a reasonable part of the way!....." Interesting stuff.

Now if you, or anyone, would like copies of these 4 pages I would be happy to oblige.
Regards,
Ian.

G'day Ian

I would be very grateful if you could send me a copy please - it could make a great read for the magazine plus I am personally very interested in the Aboriginal animal 'sanctuary' a concept I have not heard or read about before, I am happy to pay any costs incurred - photocopying etc - just let me know. Thank you.

Cheers


Maureen

'Morning Maureen,
There is only a few pages and I will send you a P.M. if that is o.k. There could have been more on this subject in the book, I do not remember.
I will post you later, at the moment I have to pack my dancing shoes and go to class.

why cannot I increase this font size? I am getting my eyes done at the end of the month but lately I am having a lot of trouble.
Ian.

If you increase the font size on your own computer - it will automatically increase the font size on every page you see. I just did the same on mine Go to control - settings - fonts and then just tick whatever box you need - probably large should do it for you.