Poet’s Corner – ‘Van Diemen’s Land’

This poem was first published by the Launceston Advertiser in December 1844.

‘Van Diemen’s Land’

By H.R.

Know ye the land of the wild kangaroo,
Where the sun ever shines, the sky ever blue,
Where the mountains their tops in majesty rise,
In beauty outvying the tints of the skies?
Know ye the land where the Exile oft mourns
The loss of his kindred, in labour forlorn;
Where the flowers ever blossom, in loneliness lost,
And echo replies to the Wattle-bird’s note?
Have you seen her bright lakes,
Her placid still waters,
The wilderness dress’d in its gayest attire,
The spirit of youth — their intellects’ fire?
Have you heard the soft voice, the feeling adieu
Of her maidens in tears, more beauteous than dew?
‘Tis the clime of the south, the land still unknown;
To enterprise dear — to the stranger still open;
Oh! who shall dare limit in ages to come,
The rise of Tasmania, the land of the sun.

‘Van Diemen’s Land’. The Launceston Advertiser, 6 December 1844, page 4. Retrieved 25 July 2020 from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84770562.

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Poet’s Corner is a quaint and quirky section of The Tasmanian Times. It has been designed to offer a haven to those who relish and immerse themselves in the sheer joy and pleasure emanating from English verse. Our idea is to share poems published in Tasmania during the early years of British arrival.

We would also like you to share your poetry with us. Submissions can be sent to arts@tasmaniantimes.com. Please see www.tasmaniantimes.com/contact for general submission guidelines.