Reporter’s Diary

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 2

Reporter’s Diary

* Australia Fair* A SCOTTISH carpenter from Glasgow was responsible for “Advance Australia Fair,” which most Australians have voted for as their national tune in the recent referendum. Peter Dodds McCormick wrote the song as a tribute to his adopted country' He was no Bums, nor even a McGonagall — the rhymer styled as the world’s best bad poet - but he wrote from the heart. The young lady at the Australian consulate in Christchurch declined to sing or hum the '■me, but she did recite the first verse of the song: “Australia’s sons, let us rejoice For we are young and free; We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil Our home is girt by sea. Our land abounds in nature’s gifts Of beauty rich and rare In history’s page, let every stage Advance Australia fair. In joyful strains, then let us sing Advance Australia fair.” Issue clouded WHILE the rest of New Zealand refers to the capital unflatteringly as “windy Wellington.” Wellingtonians sturdily refuse to admit to any climatic shortcomings. Newsagents, when explaining to their frantic customers that they have not received any papers from Christchurch, usually give as the explanation “Christchurch airport is closed by fog.” This excuse loses something in persuasiveness when Wellington itself is blanketed in pea soup. Fog, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Classified A LADY doctor went home from the Family Planning Association’s conference in Christchurch at the weekend to consult her copy of the report of the Royal Commission on contraception, sterilisation and abortion- Her teen-aged daughter told her she had filed it away in the family library, under “science fiction.” Eye of the needle CANON Bob Lowe, the vicar of Fendalton, has been invited to address the Christchurch Landlords’ Association tomorrow even-

ing. His subject will be “Can landlords get to heaven?” Official SUPPORT from the Government — not Government’s support — has been given to “The Press” in its campaign to have the Government (as a noun) referred to as “the Government” and not just “Government.” A directive has gone out from the Cabinet to Government departments that in future they are to refer to “the Government” and not “Government” at all times. Some Cabinet Ministers should take note. Piped, in NAVAL vessels have a history of little eccentricities, adopted to help them stand out from the uniform battleship grey of the fleet. The frigate H.M.N.Z.S. Taranaki combines sight and sound to put on a bit of a show when she steams into harbour. Petty Officer Stewart Hobson puts on full highland kit, and takes his bagpipes on to the forward gun turret to pipe the vessel in. He was there in his McNeil tartan when Taranaki arrived at its berth in Auckland recently, and he has been seen and heard playing his medley of Scottish airs as the frigate sailed into the Australian ports of Newcastle, Sydney and Hobart. Determination ANOTHER reader whose creditors go to disproportionate expense to recover his tiny debt is Mr F. F. Farra, of Huntsbury Hill. His supplier of spiritous liquors has now sent him two accounts — a total postage 14c — for an outstanding balance of Ic. It is hard to imagine anything they would supply for Ic, except perhaps a pretzel, but what if he pays and asks for a receipt? Another 7c stamp, no doubt. Unbearable ABDUL REZAHAS, brother of the Shah of Iran, appears to be one of the biggest dangers to the world’s endangered animal species. He likes to shoot such animals as the rare Russian antelope, Ovis poli, for his hunting trophy collection. Now he

has infuriated conservationists by going to Peru to hunt one of the rarest animals in the world — the spectacled bear. He says that he has a licence to kill one, which would leave only 699 alive. Let us hope the bears see him coming. Slow boat A PACKET of photographs of the Queen has just arrived from an agency in London, for inclusion in the publication “Royal Progress,” published by “The Press” at the time of the Royal visit — almost four months ago. It had plenty of postage on it, but no air mail sticker.

Sycamore down THE SCREAM of chainsaws in Hagley Park always gets people going. Several complained yesterday that the City Council’s reserves department was at it again —- this time in the trees near the Armagh Street gates. The tree being felled was a sycamore, said Mr N. W. Drain, deputy director of parks and reserves, and it was quite dead. He said aged and diseased trees were often removed, but the department was planting thousands of new trees and shrubs each year. —Garry Arthur