Published: 10 Nov 2022

Epsom Road was busy with carriages and cabs all the way from the city to the show grounds in Ascot Vale. Men in their finery, women in summer attire carrying parasols to void away the early spring sunshine, even with a lingering chill in the morning’s air.

“Have you ever been to the show?” Toby asked as their cab pulled up at the main gate.

Dev releases a low and guilty titter, “believe me Toby you don’t wish to know.”

“Different circumstances I should think,”

“True and when I consider back I am overcome by a wave of guilt,” Dev says.

“You shouldn’t feel guilty for trying to survive. I am sure if I was in the same situation I would do much as you did.”

“Some of it was more for the thrill of the chase, getting a rush of excited blood while thinking of the consequence if caught.”

“Oh the folly of youth,” Toby titters while directing towards the entrance.

“What about you Toby what excites your blood?”

“If you knew my parents you would soon realise that excitement wasn’t permitted, not in the house anyway but I did have my moments.”

“What about when you were living with Veronica?”

“Ah that was a different world and I ran wild with the native boys.”

“What did Veronica think of that?”

“If she was younger she more than likely would have joined us.”

Once through the gate Dev turns to Toby, “I will say one thing Toby, this is the first time I’ve entered this way, usually we would find a hole in the parameter fence, or scramble over some unguarded wall.”

“You say we?”

“Yes Jones and myself, sometimes another.”

“Have you heard from Douglas since he went up country?”

“No,” Dev answer as he looks about. He was seeing the show with different eyes. His earlier visits concentrated on rich men’s pockets, items left unprotected, or a pie from a stand when the pieman was distracted. Even the sounds appeared different, more alive as calls came from sideshow ally, inviting to pay and view the bearded lady, the five legged sheep, to try one’s luck in the boxing tent or the knock-em-down’s, four shots at the coconuts, which under closer scrutiny were well anchored to their stands, taking a man with a good aim and strong arm to dislodge any of them, while the sights on the shooting gallery’s rifles were slightly bent from true. If you were successful there would be a prize and the more hits you made, the higher the shelf for a prize but in truth none were worth the cost to play a single game.

“I need to visit the Bovidae Pavilion,” Toby points ahead to a large building butting onto the showing area.

“Bovidae?” Dev questions as the word was new to his ears.

“Sheep and other hoofed animals, remember Veronica wants me to bid for a couple of rams.”

“Yes I remember,”

“Do you want to come along?”

“I think I’ll simply wander for a while,” Dev says.

“We will meet for lunch, do you want some money?”

“No thank you I have a little.”

As they walked along the Grand Boulevard Dev noticed a painted sign outside one of the pavilions.

“Koo Wee Rup,” he reads, “that is the place Doug went to,” he recollects.

“That area grows most of the city’s potatoes,” Toby explains.

“I’ll start there, not that I’m interested in how to grow potatoes.”

Right-o, I’ll see you at lunch, do you know where the cafeteria is located?”

“I do,”

“Then until lunch,”

As Dev approached the pavilion he notices many sacks containing potatoes and a large stand holding at least a hundredweight of potatoes, all of a good size and covered in rich red Gippsland soil. As he came closer he noticed a young man with his back turned, even closer he became surprised – it is Douglas Jones.

“Hey Doug!” Dev called.

Jones turns in equal surprise.

“Dev what are you doing here?”

“More to point what are you doing?” Dev reverses the question.

“Mr. Maxwell, my boss, has me looking after the stand while he is doing business elsewhere.”

“What do you know about potatoes?” Dev laughs and takes his friend’s hand.

“I eat them,”

“Do you like farming?’

“Love it and Mr. Maxwell treats me like his own son, what about you?”

“I’ve finished my horticulture course; well will have by next weekend only one practical to finish.”

“I read about Hadley’s arrest for killing Marcus and was most surprised, I always thought it was Bryce,” Jones says.

“You wouldn’t have heard the most of it,” Dev says then brings Jones up to date with Hadley’s attach on his person and how the police had used him as a lure to catch Hadley.

“How are you now?”

“Well over it all but I still get a little jumpy around crowds.”

“And Toby?”

“That gets better everyday.”

As Dev spoke a gentleman approached and commenced to fondle the potatoes, Jones broke of conversation and approaches the man.

“Who is the grower?” the man asks and returns a large specimen he was holding to the tray.

“Mr. Maxwell of Koo Wee Rup,” Jones proudly informs.

“Yes I know Mr. Maxwell; I will like to speak with him about supplying to my Restaurant,”

“He will be back in a moment,” Jones says as his boss returns.

“I’ll take it from here Douglas; you can go for your lunch.”

“Come on I know a good pieman,” Jones suggests.

“I’m supposed to be having lunch with Toby,”

“Oh,”

“Never mind come with me and we call all have lunch together.”

As they walked towards the Bovidae pavilion Jones remembers, “I ran into Johnny Luck just after we met up with Fisk and before I left for the country.”

“What’s he up to?”

“Didn’t say much only he had a few ideas he was trying out.”

“I thought he went to Sydney,”

“He did but didn’t like it and was back in a week. He did ask after you.”

“The times have changed,” Dev sighs.

“Too true, but a year ago who would believe Jack would be in the army, me working on a farm and you, well a plant-grower of sorts.”

“Horticulturist,” Dev corrects.

“That’s what I said, a plant-grower. Also I almost forgot but Jack is here today.”

“Doing what,”

“He is marching up and down in his smart new uniform with his regiment.”

“I’ll have to look him out,”

“Last I saw they were over near the wood chopping having a beer,” Jones says and directs the way towards the cafeteria pavilion with the wood chopping en-route.

“How long do you have for lunch?” Dev asks as he spies Jack seated with a number of his group.

“It’s actually my rest day, so as long as I wish.”

“Jack!” Dev calls, spying his brother in conversation with some of his regiment.

Jack turns, “well if it isn’t the weed,” Jack jovially remarks then turns to his mates, it’s my little brother, Devon.”

“Devon?” a soldier with a large bushy moustache makes comment. In truth all of his comrades wore moustaches, as at that time throughout the empire it was regulation for soldiers to wear a moustache. Some were small and trimmed, some large and bushy, some were waxed, while others allowed them to flop at the ends, that is all except Jack who although quite masculine had difficultly in growing facial hair and only had a smudge above his lip.

“His real name is weed,” Jack says and for the first time makes the slight against his brother sound endearing.

“Where did you get the name Devon?” a trooper asks.

“Long story,” Dev answers.

“Don’t ask him or we will be here all day and if we don’t start moving soon we will have the corporal onto us.” Jack says. He turns to Dev, “are you still with -,” but doesn’t continue his question.

“Yes,” Dev admits understanding Jack’s meaning.

“Good for you.”

The troopers finished their beer and commenced to move out.

“Gotta’ go I’ll let you know where we are billeted next,” Jack makes promise.

“Do you know how to reach me?” Dev asks.

“Jolimont I suppose if not Jones will know how – see ya’,”

Toby was most surprised to see Jones and invited him to luncheon with them, he also brought Jones up to date with his friend Raymond Dyer who had pined for Douglas’ company for a week but soon found someone else to parade around town and shower with presents.

After lunch Jones needed to return to his stand, so he bid goodbye to Dev, promising to keep in touch.

“A double surprise,” Dev says

“In what way?”

“I saw my brother Jack; he was close by the wood chopping and in his uniform.”

“I should have said something, as I knew his regiment would be here doing security.”

“How did you go with the rams?”

“I was outbid on one but got the other, it will be delivered next week.”

“How?”

“That is part of my next question,”

“I’m confused,” Dev says.

“I’ll take it by train would you like to come with me and Arthur and visit Veronica?”

“Who is Arthur?”

“The ram,”

“A sheep named Arthur, not much imagination there.”

“That is his name on the papers.”

“Yes I would love to visit Veronica with you and Arthur but what about work?”

“I’ll have a word with your supervisor as he owes me a favour or two but seeing we are here, let us enjoy what the show has to offer.”

At the horse pavilion Dev made straight for the shire horses, he loved their size and hairy fetlocks and their obvious power. “Henry the eighth had them bread taller and stronger,” Dev says.

“Did he, how do you know that?”

“It’s written on the handouts. We were taught a little about Henry but mostly he couldn’t keep his pants buckled and had a bad habit of chopping off his wives heads.”

“Or his codpiece on,” Toby says.

“What’s that?”

“It holds your privates in order. Have you visited the poultry pavilion yet?”

“Not as yet but I did see the five legged lamb.”

“In the poultry pavilion they have a photograph of a fowl from Oil City in Pennsylvania that laid a double egg.”

“Double yolkers aren’t rare,” Dev says.

“Not yolks, it was two eggs joined together with a soft outer shell like that of a turtle and covered with a membrane.

Dev simply gave a smile and a nod while wishing to ask where he would find Pennsylvania but didn’t wish to appear lacking in worldly knowledge.

Toby noticed Dev’s expression and laughed.

“What’s got your funny Toby?”

“You don’t know where Pennsylvania is, do you?”

“Maybe I do and maybe I don’t.”

“Maybe you don’t,” Toby was teasing.

“Alright I don’t.”

“Somewhere in America,”

“Just somewhere Toby?” Dev was reversing the jest.

“Alright I’ll admit I don’t know more than that myself.”

“Have you been to America?”

“Father took me to New York but I was much too young to appreciate the experience.”

As they passed the machinery pavilion Toby looked in, “come on let’s have a gander, do you like machinery.”

“I’ve never really used any.”

“John Danks is displaying the Linde refrigeration machine and cool room.”

“That sounds interesting,”

“Cheeky fellow, there are also pumps, windmills and irrigation plants.”

“Stop it Toby you are turning me on.”

“Enough of that, instead I’ll shout you a beer.”

In progress to the bar they chanced to meet Jack, who seeing Toby straightened as tall as he could and saluted.

“No need for that Jack,” Toby says as Jack looses his stiffness and lowers his hand.

“I was told to always salute an officer,” Jack admits and gives Dev a glare.

“How are you enjoying the military?”

“A little too regimented sir but I’ll get used to it,” Jack gives a slight chuckle.

“Right-o Jack I’ll see you on the parade ground.”

“I was unaware you know Jack,” Dev says as they move along.

“He has been allotted to my regiment but I should be honest.”

“Honest in what aspect Toby?”

“Aspect, I like that,” a chuckle towards Dev’s choice of word, “It is my opinion Jack will never make a soldier.”

“You will look out for him,”

“Dev, Jack is a grown man and can look after himself; you can’t be all things for everyone.”

“What about the strife in South Africa, do you think there will be a war with the Dutch,” Dev questions from an understanding of Jack’s wish for adventure.

Toby laughs; “war? There is always a war somewhere; it is the way of man. If not South Africa than maybe China as the Empress is caught between the triads, the Yihequan and the Europeans forcing free trade while peddling religion and opium to the peasants and to add to the equation, Japan wants a bit of China.”

“I don’t know much about China,” Dev admits.

“You will one day, it is said with its millions the yellow peril will overtake us all. I remember something my father once told me from his days as British envoy and that was to be cautious not to awaken the sleeping dragon.”

“What is the sleeping dragon?”

“China,”

“Will that happen?”

“Not in our lifetime I should think but come on let’s enjoy what the show has to offer, enough of gloom.”

With the show concluded for another season, Melbourne once again settled back into its dreamy isolated existence. Slowly the economy was improving with Europe needing the excess wool and grain Victoria produced but for the simple workman it remained a fight to find employment. Most work remained piecemeal, a day here, a few hours there with much downtime between and if you were fortunate in finding a full-time position you would quietly accept the poor wages and long hours as there would be many lined for each position offered.

At the docks it was even worse as there were many more arriving to load or unload cargo than ship docking. It became so intense and the number looking for work so numerous, that tickets of employment would be tossed into the crowd, whoever was strong enough, quick enough to catch a ticket would be hired for the day.

Although it had been almost forty years since that day in eighteen fifty-six when stonemasons downed their tools and refused to work more than an eight hour day, it remained in the most only the building trade that enjoyed such privilege. The eight-eight-eight movement meaning eight hours of work, eight of rest and eight of play, had its origin with Robert Owen and his Model Factory in Britain and quickly spread to the colonies with their lackadaisical attitude towards class but with the depression it became almost meaningless.

Melbourne with a population of half a million had stagnated during the downturn, yet land within the city was becoming scarce and instead or spreading out it was now spreading upwards, giving much wanted employment in the building trade. Also during the nineties Melbourne lost the advantage gained during the gold rush days to Sydney, as that city once again became the principle city within the six colonies.

For Dev with his relationship with Toby and education in horticulture he was becoming distant from his past, from the hardship his mother had to endure in bringing up two boys. Most of all from his life in the push and criminal activity, also from his misfortune with Tom Hadley, although unconsciously he still retained in avoidance of crowds but something was smouldering deep down, leaving a shadow that wouldn’t show itself. Time he thought, time would either take away the shadow, or it would become obvious.

As for Tomas Hadley, during the week of the agricultural show it was reported he would not go to trial but would be incarcerated for the term of his natural life in an asylum. When further questioned if he murdered Stanley Bryce, Hadley would become hysterical without coherency as if speaking in tongues, therefore that crime remained unsolved, although unofficially ticked against Hadley and his obsession to run the Firm.

Dev had met up with his brother Jack some days after their chance meeting at the show and Jack appeared unsettled admitting he may have made an error joining the military. When asked what he would do about it, Jack in his usual blustering way simply said, put up with it I suppose, while warning Dev not to mention his misgivings to Toby.

It had been a fortnight since Toby managed to purchase the prize ram for his sister and almost another week before he could arranged to deliver it to Veronica’s farm as they needed to wait until Dev did his final practical. The day before he and Dev were to catch the train to Echuca a letter arrived from England that appeared to concern Toby. When Dev enquired about his disquiet, Toby simply smiled and said not to worry and he would explain at a later time.

Gary’s stories are about life for gay men in Australia’s past and present. Your emails to him are the only payment he receives. Email Gary to let him know you are reading: Gary dot Conder at CastleRoland dot Net

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