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Laverton is an old gold town 350 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie. It’s also the permanent home of Daniel Nioa, his burial drawing a modest crowd before quotas were a thing.
According to the
Laverton and Beria Mercury, dated July 1900, Nioa’s last days echoed the life of Solomon Grundy: “He had been discharged from hospital on 9th ultimo, was readmitted on the 27th, and died on the morning of the 30th.”
Every week, David Astle picks apart the English language.
Credit:Jo Gay
From that point, the obituary turned maudlin: “The funeral of the deceased consisted of eight persons all told, including the rev. gentleman who was to do the planting business.” To complete the Henry Lawson effect, the snippet concludes on a couplet: “Rattle his bones over the stones; He’s only a pauper who nobody owns.”
David Astle column on the riddle in Daniel Nioa s eulogy theage.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theage.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Laverton is an old gold town 350 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie. It’s also the permanent home of Daniel Nioa, his burial drawing a modest crowd before quotas were a thing.
According to the
Laverton and Beria Mercury, dated July 1900, Nioa’s last days echoed the life of Solomon Grundy: “He had been discharged from hospital on 9th ultimo, was readmitted on the 27th, and died on the morning of the 30th.”
From that point, the obituary turned maudlin: “The funeral of the deceased consisted of eight persons all told, including the rev. gentleman who was to do the planting business.” To complete the Henry Lawson effect, the snippet concludes on a couplet: “Rattle his bones over the stones; He’s only a pauper who nobody owns.”