A Lesson in Economics

Sir: While reading Peter Smith’s excellent article “Exorcising Marx and his Economics” (October 2018), I was reminded of a documentary I saw on the life of David Gulpilil. I was intrigued watching Gulpilil melting a piece of plastic to pour into a hole in his aluminium tinny so he could go fishing. He said he owned nothing because he had given all his wealth to the remote community in which he lived. He also drove a clapped-out ute.

It got me thinking that if he hadn’t shared his wealth, but had retained ownership and stewardship over boats and cars, the community would be much better off. In all likelihood he would have a fleet of runabouts and utes that he could lend to his community on a needs basis. Those who abused the arrangement would cease to share. After all, he had the talent and did the hard work, so why shouldn’t he control his property for the benefit of all? 

Far from creating an Arnhem Land utopia, Gulpilil created his own Venezuela. The money has run out and no one has anything to show for it apart from a tinny patched up with melted plastic and a clapped-out ute.

Mark Thompson
Newton, SA

Richard Bourke

Sir: Michael Easson’s “The Liberalism of Richard Bourke” (November 2018) lucidly outlined Bourke’s many achievements as Governor of New South Wales (1831–37), such as limiting the powers of magistrates over convicts, reinstating trial by jury and freedom of the press, expanding immigration, his involvement in the new settlement of Port Phillip, and the Church Act of 1836 which enabled religious equality for all Christian denominations.

Perhaps Easson could have expanded on Bourke’s legacy of public education through his advocacy of the “Irish National Schools” model (with which he was familiar in his native Ireland), which he recommended for New South Wales. Whilst it did not eventuate during Bourke’s governorship (largely because of opposition from the Anglican Bishop of New South Wales, William Grant Broughton), National Schools legislation was eventually enacted eleven years later by Governor Charles Fitzroy, thanks largely to the efforts of Bourke’s legal friends in Sydney.

The importance of the Irish model of National Schools cannot be overestimated, because for the first time Protestant and Catholic children were taught together in government-funded schools in the colonies of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. This then led the way for the eventual introduction of the “free, compulsory and secular” 1872 Education Act of Victoria, and its flow-on effects elsewhere in Australia in later years.

Max Waugh
Monash University
Clayton, Vic

Good and Bad Trump

Sir: Responding to John O’Sullivan’s second thoughts on Trump (November 2018). I always thought there was a Good Trump and a Bad Trump and we had to wait and see which one was more effective. He did not campaign on a narrow range of divisive topics. With minimal staff he devised reasonable policies on the major issues and posted them on a website.

I happened to spend several months in the US running up to the 2016 election. Quite by accident, late in the campaign I happened to hear the whole of a short stump speech that Trump delivered out in the sticks. This was a total revelation. This was not a caricature of good or evil, this was a man reaching out to a provincial audience, speaking in plain terms about creating jobs and making a country to be proud of. He reached out and embraced the minorities. He spoke with vigour, with compassion and a touch of humour. Above all he spoke with a positive purpose and he spoke to everyone.

Since then the Good Trump has far exceeded my expectations.

Rafe Champion
Lower Neutral Bay, NSW

Odin and Grainger

Sir: Elizabeth Beare’s “Decoding King Arthur” (September 2018) prompts me to mention something Odin-related that may be of interest to your readers.

Percy Grainger set a selection of Longfellow’s “Wraith of Odin” stanzas from “The Saga of King Olaf” for double mixed chorus and large orchestra, and this was finally recorded by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and published on CD by Chandos in 2013. Grainger the colourist wonderfully matches the atmosphere-laden lyrics with appropriately dark musical expression. 

Grainger’s standing has suffered from the overlooking of serious twentieth-century-idiom works like this magnificent one, due to the mixed blessing of fame from his lighter works. Grainger’s more serious works are among the most unjustly neglected gems of the twentieth-century repertoire, and “The Wraith of Odin” especially would be enjoyed by many music lovers who have not yet heard of it.

Phil Hayward
Lower Hutt, New Zealand