The Official Burglar single work   poetry   satire   "Once upon a morning dreary, pondering over figures weary,"
Issue Details: First known date: 1864... 1864 The Official Burglar
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Notes

  • This poem borrows from Edgar Allan Poe's poem, 'The Raven', which has the first line : 'Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,'.
  • This poem reflects on recent events in Sydney, where the New South Wales Treasurer had workmen construct a series of doorways in the walls of the Treasury Building, which had hitherto separated the Treasury from the Audit Office - all supposedly to the consternation of the Auditor-General, who had not been consulted on the matter. The symbolism of the renovation was highlighted when the incident was subsequently reported in the press (eg. see the report titled 'An Official Burglar' which appeared in the Brisbane Courier, 4 July, 1864, p.2).

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon The Brisbane Courier 9 July 1864 Z1690299 1864 newspaper issue 1864 pg. 6
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon The Empire 4 July 1864 Z1690302 1864 newspaper issue 1864 pg. 5
Last amended 1 Aug 2011 17:01:26
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