In this very Australian through-the-window snap, an Australian Magpie in search of a morsel of food has taken up a vantage point on the head of a concrete Ned Kelly statue. Ned is hiding behind a sprawling stalk of a potted chrysanthemum,
a plant which in southern Australia is distributed in potted form in May, in full flower, and then left to cling to life in the same pot over winter in the expectation that it might again burst into flower next year, when the better course is simply to throw
it in the compost and buy another one for next autumn. To avoid confusion among overseas subscribers to this chatline it should be clarified that Ned Kelly, so far as known, has no particular connection with Kelly Swamp nor with Mike Kelly, the member in
the Commonwealth Parliament for Eden-Monaro, and hence for chatline subscribers in such outposts as Carwoola and Wamboin. As a child I remember being shown ‘ Ned Kelly’s armour’ in, of all places, what was known as the Melbourne Aquarium. I have since learnt
that there are a number of such ‘suits’ in various places having been assembled from bits and pieces making up at least 4 outfits belonging to the ill-fated Kelly Gang.
