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Incident, Wallis Plains, 1826

Tony Smith
Language: English




Come hearken to my story, the saddest of tales
Ever in this country, the land of New South Wales
About a black prisoner, in his chains shot down
And the farce of a trial, held in Sydney town

In the mid eighteen twenties, deprived of their land
The poor Australians, had to make a stand
Against the invader, and his greedy ways
Once a welcome visitor, he now meant to stay

Gubbas stole the people’s land, their women disgraced
What else would they expect, but resistance displayed?
A corn farm near Singleton, saw a fatal fight
And settlers decided, Blacks to shoot on sight

Governor Darling sent a man, called Nathaniel Lowe
With his troop of mounted men, the English law to show
They fired off their muskets, at any man about
And women and children, were put to the rout

They held a man called Jacky, locked in his chains
Near the soldiers’ barracks, in sleepy Wallis Plains
Lowe bade his men shoot him, down him like a dog
They feared his wrath, more than that of god

The local magistrates around, their thanks to Lowe did write
They thought the Indigenes, would now give up the fight
But Darling heard other views that called the act a crime
And set up an inquiry, that would report in time

When Lowe was brought before the court, in distant Sydney town
The jury heard some arguments, to make a good man frown
‘Were Black men like Jacky, really subjects of the Crown?’
‘Are they men at all like us?’ asked one be-wigged clown

Such finer legal points, were of great import
If black folk lacked protection, they’d be hunted down for sport
But when the trial was over, the jury fast agreed
They found Lowe not guilty, and so he was freed

Lowe had some backers, they went wild and clapped
They shook his hand up and down, his back they loudly slapped
They acted just like they would if they had won a game
While those who loved English law, hung their heads in shame

No justice for the slaughtered, cruelty was unleashed
Not all settlers were unjust, but some of them were beasts
The frontier wars they worsened, Blacks like flies died
The locals decimated, in this time of genocide



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