A PRINCELY “RAG”

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 113, 16 May 1927, Page 11

A PRINCELY “RAG”

BY ’VARSITY STUDENTS DUKE OF YORK IN MELBOURNE AN EXTRAORDINARY SCENE The most extraordinary scene which has occurred during the present tour o t the Duke and Duchess of York happened at Melbourne on 27th April, when the students of Melbourne University arranged a ‘‘rag,” with the Duke as the central figure. ' Addresses of welcome were presented to him, and he was initiated with full ceremony into the ranks of the Students’ Association, being finally allowed to - return to his staff after the day’s proceedings had been upset by over half an hour’s delay. The; Melbourne ‘‘Age,” recounting the incident, said: ‘‘The Duke and those associated with him little dreamt of the nature of the ‘informal’ gathering arranged by the students.” From the moment His Royal Highness appeared from Wilson Hall, where ha had been received by members o: the Professorial Board, says the “Age,” until his departure, fully half an hour behind official sclie ilc time, there aveloped a scene of lively, almost rollicking, informality, into the spirit of which the Duke entered with cheery good humour and boyish enthusiasm. With the sound of cheering, denoting the progress of the official ceremony in Wilson Hall, the ebullient undergraduates outside, were .expoditiously marshalling their forces for their extremely unofficial demonstration of how degrees should be conferred on Royalty. The University Rifles guard of honour, temporarily dismissed,. was waiting ready to re-form. In front of the decorated canopy, through which the Duke was expected to emerge, stood conversing groups Of .students and visitors, while police officials waited about in readiness’for the official ceremonial departure of the Duke to ginSuddenly, however,' from around the south-west corner of Wilson Hall appeared a strange, bedraggled contingent- a contingent: of men and “women” in exaggerated : rural attire, bearing, a conspicuous .banner, and accom-’ panied by a collection of live stock that might have escaped—if not ejected—from a country show. Came “Dad” with long-white “hayseed” beard,' Mum.',’, in Quaker hat, followed by the kids, farm hands, stockmen, aid a village ifliot ”; while, led by sundry bits of .rope and tether, were two cows, sheep two goats, a pig, a dog, and two large horses, on which sat two stalwart' boundary. riders.” “If the Duke can’t come.to the country,” explained the prominent banner; “then the country must come to the Duke,” and, havmg intimated also that they claimed “Woop,yoop West” as their native town, .this uninvited party from the bush took up a prominent position in front of the awnihg. An address of welcome, mounted and framed, was ready for presentation to the Duke. It was addressed to “Albert, Duke of the illustrious house of York, brother of the horsey Prince, Knight of the Jazz Garter, . and ;it went on to ™ y • B Ji r the I( >yal. citizens of Woop .Woop West had come down,.bringing with them thoir ox, their ass, their man servant, and their maid servant, and the stranger in their gates. Realising ..that the Duke was a sportthey humbly beseeched him to inspect their live stock and themselves. YVfijriOlAL ROYAL ~^PROGRESS.

But tho rural deputation was not to itave proceedings in its own hands for long. Scarcely-had it taken up its position than it received-orders from representatives - of; the undergraduates poltee force” that it must “move on . to make room for ah entirely different setting. ... riioted by a “police’’. motor-cyclist i?/ n ? °, dramati . c uniform, U p swept the Guke a ,carriage ” —-an open landau equipped with top-hatted coachmen and livened postilion, to convey the distinguiShed visitor on a Royal progross that certanly could not be found pro- , videa for on the official programme. The crowd was rapidly expanding, and those responsible for the “rag” were on the tip-toe of excitement as the moment for their demonstration approachod. They had not long to wait. Bayonets suddenly shot up above the heads of the crowd as the, guard of honour hastlly reformedj and amid deafening cheers that drowned the sound of the arts school clock striking noon, the Duke appeared, Arriving under the aiming' his face wreathed in a kindly smile, ife was hailed from the waiting landau by »Z ee < *® n J ;a i students in morning dress. Alternately waving their hands and shouting “Your Royal Highness” to the smiling Duke, and signalling to the crowd to move back from the landau, the students, assisted _by .the real police,, succeeded in clearing a space through which, amid renewed cheering and flag-waving, the Duke, stepping forward from his.staff, joined, the tophatted students in the landau. Meanwhile a section of the cheering, pressing ..crowd had become mixed up with the “country” invasion,' and before the Boyal progress could commence Its passage around the grounds, space had to be cleared through a mass of laughing, shouting humanity, and bewildered semi-scared live stock. In a levr minutes, however, the carriage, with an official escort of real policemen who had rallied round the landau iminediately. the Duke got in, and an unofficial, escort of excited students, was on its way with.the “country” visitors ana their live stock up the rear. Gathering speed along the drive in the. direction of the Grattan street entrance, the crowd for a few seconds had of .necessity to break into a run. Then followed another phase of the extoaordbiary - and unrehearsed scene. Anticipating that the procession ’s objective, after various addresses had been presented en route, would be the University clubrooms, crowds of students and their friends, not immediately surrounding thp carriage, set off on a cross country” run to head off the Royal carriage. Gowns * flying in the breeze,.and.hats discarded, youths and girls raced across the grass plots, springing over path borders,- dodging around trees and shrubs, and deftly skirting fences, until the whole area in front of Wilson Hall was alive with running, cheering people. \ . Meanwhile the Royal progress had been joined by -a milk cart driven by a war-iike-iooking “Highlander,” and a. jinker • doing duty as another “royal carriage,” in which were -two students, one in naval uniform representing the Duke, and another in military attire posing • as the Earl of Cavan. Approaching a turn in the route some of the more boisterous spirits in the crowd clambered on' to the sides of the landau; sections of the running spectators com verged on each other, and for a few minutes progress was temporarily blocked. A collision between One of the jinkers and the- landau appeared, imminent, but with the cordon of police providing a sclent and tactful bodyguard, and an officiating student enforcing order amongst some of tho mpst lively students wtth a stick, the way was_ once more cleared, and the procession resumed to the University clubrooms. UNORTHODOX ADDRESSES. A One of the students on tho carriagohad stood up and proceeded to tap on

the heads with a stick all those who persisted in hanging to the back of the landau. The coach moved off, surrounded by people, who resembled a swarm of bees round an upturned hive. After going about twenty yards the carriage pulled up. He of the top hat and stick addressed the crowd. “Move on and form strong posts! Make way! We’re going to drive all round the gounds, and everyone will get a look at the Duke!” His plea was partially successful, and the carriage moved slowly round towards the Medical School. The police behind it were in a panic, hot, perspiring, struggling against the tide of humans who pressed in. Soon the carriage was pulled up by a strong post, and here an address.was read, and the Duchess in absentia was invested with the “one.and only degree of its kind— Spinster of Domestic Economy.” There wore other stops for addresses of welcome. Most of them displayed a fine disregard for recognised forms of propriety. The address from the dental students—who described themselves as all being “men of good extraction’’—began by referring to “Dear Albert.” That from Ormond College was as follows: “Dear Bertie, : —Whereas this testament witnesseth that on this 27th day of April, A.D, 1927, you have suffered a severe misfortune, to wit, the degree of Let Loose Duchess (LL.D.) has been thrust upon you gratis, know ye therefore that we, the cream of the University, not wishing to detract from the honour hereinbefore mentioned, desire to invest you with the highest of honours, namely, P.0.Q., M.U.G. Wo regret your Lizzie’s absence, and confer on her without prejudice in absentia the degree of NfE. Plum. Convey kind greetings to the old man and missus. Cheeriatum maximum. Caesar landed in'Britain 1066. Finis.” The address from the medical students was an “illuminated” one—it had affixed to it three candles alight. It was as follows : “Oyez, oyez, oyez. May it please your Royal Highnesses'on this auspicious occasion to accept from us—-your pa’s most humble subjects assembled here, representatives of medical, legal, artful, theological, and other faculties, so prominent in social, philanthropic, revolutionary, patriotic, and prohibition movements in the community—our most earnest welcome to the Shop. It is indeed a proud hour which gives us the honour of meeting a true man. You —a brilliant scholar of Cambridge, graduating in the poker school with honours in put and take, will not fail to notice the peculiar i advantages of this, your new Alma, Mater—the wild fowl on our lagoon, our magnificent new the unbroken chain of pubs from Flinders street to our very-door. We trust that your Royal Highnesses will carry away happy (if any) recollections of your briof visit to sunny south —Carlton.” There was another address, from Trinity College. It began: “As one Trinity man to another. V • “INITIATING” THE DUKE. The carriage next, pulled up outside the club house, into which the Duke was unprotcstingly hustled. The hall was in a few minutes chocked by students like sardines and the police had difficulty in making room for the Duke to move. in. There wore man and woman students perched on the top of partitions, on chairs, in the gallery. In fact; everywhere it was possible to obtain an inch of room. And in the midst of it the Bukoj beside himself with laughter, enjoying every minute of it. Here tho Duko was brought face to face .with the student who had been masquerading as himself. This student told the Duke that ho would have to delivor an address in the capacity of mayor. “I must have a town clerk,” replied the Duke, and he seized a portly student to fill th» part. Then, imitating a mayor delivering an address, the Duke .expressed tho. wish that the stay in Australia would be a happy one. He balled upon the town clerk then to deliver an address. The unfortunate town clerk” mado a,rather poor show of it, and was promptly howled down. ) By this time the Duke had apparently quite forgotten his ducal Status. When he was initiated as a fresher he could hardly speak for laughing. The student with the top hat and the stick, who had taken charge of the Duke throughout, the proceedings, conducted the initiation ceremony. “Your name!” he asked. “Albert Windsor.” “Don’t you say ‘Sir’?” “Sir.” “Repeat after me, ‘I, Albort Windsor’ ” “I, Albert Windsor ” : “Of—‘Where do you livet’ ” “Say London.” having been admitted to this most august body of students, will now conduct myself in a manner befitting a student.’ ” There were loud cheers as the Duke repeated these words. Then he continued after the student., . insomuch ,as I will be at all times, prepared to supply beer, cigarettes, etc., to my less fortunate students. I also pledge myself to support this society to my fullest endeavour.” “Shake hands!” Tho Duke did as he was bidden. There was tumultuous cheering, and tho singing of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” and then the Duke stood on a, chair and addressed the students. “Gentlemen, fellow students,” he when tlle uproar, had subsided, You have made me a student, and I want to thank you for having done so. J veT y proud to bo a member of tho University of Melbourne—(cheers) —both as a student and as one who has reached the dizzy heights (glancing at the chair on which he was standing). (Laughter.) Tho only fault I can find is that you put the cart before the horse. (Renewed laughter.) Well, my visit' here this morning has shown me what the young man of Australia is. (A Voice from the Gallery: “What about the women?”) He is a very good fellow, I have enjoyed this morning very much—(cheers) —and I am very glad to have met so many of you. In saying good-bye I wish you all the best of luck” (Renewed cheers.) ’ This ceremony over the Duke turned his head towards the door, and the police began to mako a path through the crowd. The M.C. with the top hat and the stick appealed to his follows to make way. “Let him out, he’s a good sport!” he shouted, and much to, the relief, of the staff, who were completely blocked from approaching His Royal Highness, the Duke was allowed to go out of the building and to re-enter tho landau. He was driven to his official car,, and this ho entered. Standing up in the motor as it moved he waved farewell to the cheering crowds. The last the university saw of the -Royal student and\ doctor of laws was his white naval cap and waving hand above the heads of his. staff in the Royal car as it turned into Grattan street.