Hurrah For The Diggings (1851)
Ye Hobartonians great and small,
Ye native youths, ye loiterers all,
The gold is found; obey the call--
Off with ye to New Norfolk.
Take pick and spade, and good skin rug,
And grog and grub, to make ye snug,
And nerve each arm, to delve for nug-
Gets large, at mad New Norfolk.
No better place could have been found ;
Huge blocks of quartz bestrew the ground;
And if deceived, your mind's unsound,
Your shop is still New Norfolk.
There is a mad-house big enough,
To hold ye all when "up to snuff,"
In jackcts straight, you'll look quite gruff
Demented at New Norfolk.
Off, leave your cozy pleasant home,
And Savage like, prepare to roam,
Unwashed, unshaved, ne'er use a comb,
The gold is at New Norfolk.
The gold, the glittering yellow gold,
With longing eyes ye may behold;
And dream of riches yet untold,
While digging at New Norfolk.
What's "Ballarat," or " World's End,"
To our Tasmanian gold God send,
The mad-house e'en will be a friend,
When ye are at New Norfolk.
Then haste away and lose no time,
The bells ring out a merry chime,
The dog-days too are coming prime,
Hurrah for mad New Norfolk.
Don't lag behind--delay is bad,
Who knows what fortune may be had.
At worst if ye should prove quite mad,
You're welcome to New Norfolk.
Hobart Town, Nov. 11th.
Notes
From the Tasmanian Newspaper the Hobarton Guardian, or, True Friend of Tasmania Wed 12 Nov 1851 p. 3.