Mr. A.B. Paterson ("Banjo"), who represented the "Sydney Morning Herald" and "The Argus" at the front in South Africa, returned to Australia on Thursday. He arrived at Adelaide in the s.s. Wilcannia, and came on to Melbourne by the express, which arrived on Saturday. He was received at Spencer-street by a few friends, who were glad to welcome him home, and delighted to see that he was in very good health. Though he intended to continue the journey to Sydney, he was prevailed upon to remain, and he surprised and delighted a large gathering at the Cafe Chantant at the Exhibition building late on Saturday night by appearing on the stage and reciting two humorous little war poems of his own. The first was the one he wrote on board the transport going to South Africa, "There's Another Blessed Horse Fell Down." The second was founded on the army phrase, "Fed up." Mr. Paterson explained that when the men had had enough of the war they said they were "fed up of the war," they were "fed up" on being shot at, and "fed up" on getting nothing to eat. This paradox raised a hearty laugh, which was renewed at the end of the three little verses written on the theme. In celebration of the event, patrons of the cafe had each to pay 6d. towards the hospital debt fund before being allowed to go out. Mr. Paterson intends to give a course of war lectures in Australia, and has concluded arrangements to that end with Mr. R.S. Smythe.
First published in The Argus, 10 September 1900
[Thanks to the National Library of Australia's newspaper digitisation project for this piece.]
