CHOOSING A BIRTHPLACE

Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3303, 30 May 1931, Page 3

CHOOSING A BIRTHPLACE

AN EASY ROAD TO EMINENCE.

(By Gavin Long in Melbourne Argus.) An overwhelming majority of Aus- ; tralians who have attained distinction were born in the country, A disproportionate number of them were born overseas. The percentage of men of iaark who were born in Australian Cities is very small. There must be imme reason for these curious facts, and several reasons .suggest themselves; but equally good explanations could be found for an opposite order of things. The facts remain. Let us take the members of the High Court of Australia. Pour of the six judges were born in the country; one of them—Mr Justice Duffy—was born in Dublin; only one—Mr Justice Dixon—was born in an Australian city. • The figures of the Victorian Supreme Court are exactly the same—four for the country, one for Ireland, and one for the city. Yet the ratio of country dwellers to city dwellers was never as great as even two to one during the period in which these men were arriving in the world. The proportion of overseas-born people in Australia, although substantial in the seventies, is minute to-day. In art the outlook for city dwellers is even more hopeless. A list of 10 artists, whom general opinion seems to place first among their kind, was taken, and it was discovered that five of them were born abroad and five in the country. Sir John Longstaff and Messrs Norman Lindsay, Lionel Lindsay, Arthur Streeton, and Will Dyson were born in the country. Messrs Bernard Hall, Hans Heyson, Max Meldrum, Tom Roberts, and Julian Ashton were born abroad. Of the five who were country-born, four had their origin in towns on Victorian goldfields. They are the Lindsays at Creswick, Sir John Longstaff at Chines, and Mr Dyson at Ballarat. It may be objected that another list of distinguished Australian artists might be taken which would produce contrary results. There is, however, no deception about the first two lists that were taken; and it is impossible to manipulate a list of the Premiers of Victoria since 1900, which will be the next to be subjected to the test. Of 12 of the 13 Premiers of Victoria since the beginning of the century seven were born in the country, three in the city, and two abroad, including one in Ireland; and of the seven whom the country has given us four were born on or about the goldfields. The analysis is as follows: Country: Sir Alexander Peacock (Creswick), Sir Thomas Bent (Penrith, N.S.W.), Mr John Murray (W.arrnambool), Mr W. A. Watt (Kyneton), Senator Lawson (Dunolly), Mr Allan, M.LA. (Lancefield), Mr Hogan (Ballarat district). City: Sir George Turner (Melbourne), Mr Prendergast, M.L.A. (Adelaide), Sir William McPherson (Melbourne). Abroad: Sir William Irvine (Ireland), Sir John Bowser (London). Already in the four lists have been four natives of Creswick—the Lindsay brothers, Mr Justice Starke, and Sir Alexander Peacock. Professor T. H. Laby also was born at Creswick. Eight Australians officers were commanding divisions or were holding higher appointments in France and Palestine at the end of the war. Of the eight, six were country born, one was born in Melbourne, and one in England. The details are: Country: Sir Harry Chauvel (Tabulam, N.S.W.), Sir Brudenell White (St. Arnaud), Sir John Gellibrand (Ouse, T.), Sir Charles Rosenthal (Berrima, N.S.WL) Sir Wm. Blackmont (Q-), and Major-General Tivey (Inglewood, V.) Sir John Monash was born in Melbourne, and Sir Talbot Hobbs in England. The results are different when one turns to a list of Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth. Five of, them were born overseas—Sir Joseph Cook, Mr Andrew Watson, Sir George Reid, Mr Andrew Fisher, and Mr William Hughes. Sir Edmund Barton was born in Sydney, and Mr Alfred Deakm and Mr S. M. Bruce in Melbourne; only Mr Scullin was born on the Victorian goldfields. - ' Having found an exception, we have conclusively proved the rule. The tests have not, perhaps, been thorough or scientific enough, but it seems to have been established that to achieve eminence in, Australia it is almost essential tcjfe born-as I was-m the bush. .