Homartian book bootleg

CHARACTER & TRUTH IN & ABOUT
THE LAND WATER & SKY OF HOBART.
It is a partial lyrical geographic melody sharing
affection and future for visitors too.

iii
DID THEY STOMP ON THE INDIGENOUS VICINITY, THEIR NIBBERLOONE
COUNTRY? DID THEY MOVE FRENETICALLY TO WALL IN A PLACE LIKE THEIR
OWN BACK HOME, FRIGHTENED BY THE PROXIMITY OF THE BUSH-EDGED
NIGHT SHADOWS, CONSOLIDATING BUILDINGS BASTION-LIKE TO TURN
INWARD TO AVOID OUTWARDLY ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR DISCOURTEOUS
IMPOSITION & STIFLING AWAY EVEN THE BROOKEN BEAUTY OF THE HANDY
CRYSTAL SALTEN ESTUARY CONVENIENT FOR SPEARING & A FROLIC OR
THREE. DID THEY STOMP & BUILD BIT BY BIT UNTI THE WONDER-COUNTRY
IN LOCALE NO LONGER LIVED CENTRE TOWN – SO THAT MORE & MORE
THEY HAD TRAVEL TO FIND SOMETHING LIKE IT & TO MEET THE
MOUHENEENNER THERE WHO MIGHT COURTEOUSLY MIND THEIR CHILDREN
OR TRADE SOME ROO MEAT FOR A DOG.

‘ The writing style in Homartian is like John’s paintings - and
I quote the Foreword with a smile in agreement; “a loosely
waxed flow of conscious and subconscious expression from
the evirons & the mental … lush with psychotropic
properties.” Though poetically styled, this book in its
journey reminds me of many most pleasant “Homartian”
classical music concerts. Somehow both take me to a place
in my thoughts, giving me an awareness of beautiful peace,
hope & a sense of freedom & dreaming which strengthen
my wellbeing. Thankyou to John.’
Sandy Latham
PROFESSIONAL MOTHER, WIFE AND KIWITIAN

vii
© Monte John Latham 2013
Monte John Latham asserts the moral right to be identified as the creating author
of this work,
Homartian
and its composite parts.
All rights are reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy,
recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author.
Debox Publications .
PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 2013
TRIM1524_2286
ISBN 978-0-646-59530-6

All that came before,
in particular this beautiful place
that has suffered and grows …
and the last pound of shelled scallops that
was tendered as fare on the tram to North Hobart.
PAINTINGS, COVER, PENCIL & SNAP PHOTO
ILLUSTRATIONS ARE BY THE AUTHOR
A FEW OF THE IMAGES ARE DRAWN FROM
GENERAL PUBLICATION & OF UNKNOWN SOURCE.

ix
WRITER
He grew up in the outer suburbs of a small scenic
capital city in Tasmania Australia amid abundant
countryside and river coast. After a lengthy
professional sojourn in town character and matters
urban, he now paints, writes and draws plans in a rural
coastal part of home; deep in the islands immediately
south in The Great Southern Land. At times, such as
now, his writing is like his painting; a loosely waxed
flow of edited conscious and subconscious expression
from the evirons & the mental … lush with
psychotropic properties.
Born mid 20th
century he, with wife & their five
children, grew near Hobart, battling its economy with
faith in the nurture of familiar locale and this one in
particular.
No author is an island; rather merely another
participant and this one with a very very tolerant
participator in Sandy, a very very special piece of New

Zealand and wife. Certainly the kids are triple A +
participators too. He is ten years older than the
picture. I hope you enjoy this light hearted and
impassioned piece.

Homartian
Hear me Homartians, t h e w r i t i n g
h a n d s t r e e t - s w e e p s o u r p i l l o w c l e a n ,
f o r e a s y - e a r e d s i m p l e t o w n h e a r t s ;
i t m a r r i e s t h o s e w h o b i n d t h e

g r e a t i n f i n i t e i n t e l l i g e n t , r e m e m b e r s
t h e h u g e s w a t h e o f l i t t l e s p a r r o w s ,
n a y m a y b e s t a r l i n g s , p e a k - h o u r
l i g h t e d f l i g h t e v e n i n g s w e e p i n g t o o
t h e D e r w e n t r e s t i n g o n t h e b r i d g e ,
w h a l e s c a l v i n g i n h e r b a y s m a k i n g
n o i s e e n o u g h t o k e e p B a t t e r y P o i n t
a w a k e , a b a l o n e a n d c r a y a t t h e s h o r e
a m e r e s t o n e - t h r o w a w a y , v e r y n e a r
t h e T o w n H a l l . N o w o o l l e d p u l l o v e r
y o u r m o u n t a i n f a c e . N o k o w t o w t o
f i n i t e c u r r e n c y d i s g r a c e ; d ir t y f o o t e d
i n t r u s i o n B l u n d s t o n e
ED. NOTE:
ONE COULD READ
STRAIGHT THROUGH FIRST,
THEN COME BACK TO PICK
UP THE DISPLAY PAGES.

3
Blundstone boot-heal broken skin on the Tharkian silken perfect pad cushion plant billiard
green moss – photo is not a cushion plant however - hundreds of years in the growing, serious
affront across its perfect stone companion.
R E F E R G L O S S A R Y F O R :
B l u n d s t o n e , G o n d w a n i c ,
T h a r k i a n , t e s t o s t e r o n i o u s
c o n n e c t o r , d o l l a r - r i g h t …

5
b o o t - h e a l b r o k e n s k i n o n t h e
T h a r k i a n s i l k e n p e r f e c t - p a d c u s h i o n
p l a n t b i l l i a r d g r e e n m o s s h u n d r e d s
o f y e a r s i n t h e g r o w i n g , s e r i o u s
a f f r o n t a c r o s s i t s p e r f e c t s t o n e
c o m p a n i o n p r e s e n c e s o a k i n g
m o r n i n g s u n f o r e o n s s h e l t e r e d f r o m
t h e w e s t e r n w i n d s , g r a f i t t i e d
s o m e t h i n g a k i n a s h a m e f u l l y w a r p e d
t e s t o s t e r r o n i o u s c o n n e c t o r m a k i n g
o b s c e n e c o n t a c t w i t h t h i s a w e . N o t o
c l o u d i n g t h e G o n d w a n i c b e a u t y
s e n d i n g s t a l w a r t t h e s t o n e y t r a c e r y

o f w i n d s a m i l l i o n a w o n d e r
a r i c h n e s s
red-green-amber….. h u n d r e d s o f y e a r s i n t h e g r o w i n g ,
s e r i o u s a f f r o n t a c r o s s i t s p e r f e c t s t o n e c o m p a n i o n

7
o f o l d o l d o l d l ic h e n g r e e n s a l l k i n d a
a s t a n d i n g a l o o k i n g - a t u s - n o t
a w a i t i n g s o m e c a b l e d i m p o s t .
Y e s n o ; f o r o u r v i b r a n t c h a r a c t e r o f
p l a c e , s m a l l h h o m a r t i a n , s i m p l y
s i t t i n g o v e r y o n d e r , l o o k i n g b a c k a t
t h e s o m e t i m e s d e e p b l u e s l i g h t l y
h a z e d d o l l a r - r i g h t s t o n e c a r d b o a r d
c u t o u t a g a i n s t t h e s k y , s o m e t im e s
l u s h g l i s t e n i n g w i t h w e t t e d S p r i n g
u n b u r n t f o r f i f t y y e a r s , t r a d i n g
c l o u d s h a d o w s m o t t l i n g m o v e m e n t
f o o t h i l l t o f o o t h i l l ; a v e r y p r i v i l e g e d
c l o s e f i n i t e d i s t a n c e f r o m
t h e r e d - g r e e n - a m b e r b e e p -

9
b e e p - b e e p e l e c t r o n i c a b s t r a c t s o f o u r
u r b a n e p i l l o w . W a r m b l u e s k y p u r e
a i r a n c i e n t m o s s w i n d w h i s t l e d
e r o s i o n i n d u s t r i a l s i l e n c e j u x t o e d
w i t h C o l l i n s i n t e r s e c t i n g M u r r a y
a r u s h a b r m m m - a n d N o r t h H o b a r t
C e n t r a l a t e a s e . N a y i n f a c t n o
d i s t a n c e a t a l l , f o r t h a t m o u n t a i n ’ s
t o e n a i l s a r e c l i p p e d r i g h t h e r e a t t h e
S a l a m a n c a q u a r r y a n d d i s p l a y
g n a r l e d a n d w a s h e d b y t h e s a l t y
r i v e r , g i v i n g g r i t t y h o m e s t o
i n d i v i d u a l c r a b s a n d o t h e r s – b u t

o n l y i f t h e r e o u r c h i l d r e n c a n k n o w
o f t h i s w h e n t h e y w a l k t h e b o t t o m
o f S t r e e t C a n y o n , b l i n k e r e d t o o
c r a b s AT HOME ON BATTERY POINT TOENAILS red-
green-amber….. h u n d r e d s o f y e a r s i n t h e
g r o w i n g s t o n e c o m p a n i o n

11
b y p o l e d w i r e s , e x h a u s t , b r a k e - s h o e
d u s t a n d s i g n s … o n l y i f t h e c h i l d r e n
c a n s e e t h r o u g h t h i s .
P i l l o w v i t a l i s e d i n a t a n n i n
t o u c h e d p u r e c r y s t a l l i n e b r e w f r o m
h e r c h i l l c o n d e n s a t i o n s b e f o r e t h e y
m e e t t h e b r i n e . F i g h t i n g f o u l
e x c r e m e n t w h e r e w e d r e w d r i n k i n g
w a t e r ; f a l l i n g i l l - k n o w i n g n o t w h y .
Y e t g l o r i o u s f i r e g l o w s o n t h e b r o w n
e y e s a s t h e e y e s ’ h a n d s , c o m f o r t a b l e
g n a r l e d k i t c h e n t o e n a i l s i n t h e l e a f

c r u n c h s o i l , t u r n i n t h e c o a l s a h u g e
d o l l a r - f r e e c r a y f i s h
t
a
l
l
e
s
t
o
f
t
a
l
l
t
a
l
l
y
e
s
t
a
l
l
g
u
m

13
g r a b b e d i n s h a l l o w d i v e t w o
h u n d r e d s t e p s a w a y . T h a t s a m e g l o w
r e f l e c t i n g f r o m b l u e e y e s , a w a k e n i n g
a p a l e m a n ’ s s l e e p i n g p a l l i d
i n d i g e n u i t y – a p a l e m a n ’ s
i n d i g e n u i t y . C a n h i s h a n d s t u r n h e r e
s u c h a c r a y , n a y n o t t o d a y : y e t
E l i z a b e t h M a l l , i n s t r a n g e , i s m o r e
p e d e s t r i a n a f f a b l e t h a n t h e s o c a l l e d
‘ b a s t a r d s c r u b ’ i n t h i s p l a c e t h r o u g h
w h i c h t h e s h i p ’ s s u r v e y o r h a c k e d
m a c h e t e - p r u n e d a l a r g e f e l l e d
e u c a l y p t l o g b r i d g i n g t h a t

c r y s t a l l i n e f l o w . T h a t l o g a m e r e
l i m b i n c o m p a r i s o n t o t h e t a l l e s t o f
t a l l t a l l y e s t a l l , t h e R e g n a n s g u m s
g r o w n , g r o w n , w a t e r e d a n d g r o w n
r i g h t h e r e . T h a t l o g a f i r s t s t i t c h i n
t h e r o a d t o L a u n c e s t o n ; a n d t h e
c r y s t a l l i n e f l o w - e v e n t u a l l y
n u i s a n c e a n d s o d e a l t w i t h b y t h e
H o m a r t i a n c i v i l e n g i n e e r ; c o v e r e d
d r a i n s , f l o w d i v e r s i o n , g o n e b u r i e d ,
b r u t a l i s e d , m o d i f i e d , c o l l e c t i n g n e w
s t o r m d r a i n s f r o m e v e r y w h i c h w a y .
T h i s m o u n t a i n - b o r n b r o o k g a v e u p

15
O
O
O
Spirit in this mall – by the writer

Rosella in a
Regnans gum
near the hole in
the mall 18o4 –
by Mont

17
i t s g h o s t : b a b b l i n g b r o o k b u r i e d ,
t o w n p a v e m e n t s s e e k i n g l e v e l w a l k s
l a y o v e r t h e n a p e y u n d u l a t i o n s ,
r i v e r b a n k s , o v e r h a n g i n g t r e e s , b i r d s ,
r e f l e c t i o n s , y a b b i e s , d r i n k i n g f a u n a .
T o d a y l i k e l y w i l l n o t s e e d o z e d w i d e
a s w a t h e o f r e a l e s t a t e ; i t t o e x h u m e
f o r t h e c h i l d r e n t o s e e . I f o n l y t h e y
c o u l d s i m p l y s e e . F r e e t h e l e y l i n e s
f r o m y o u r k e r b s a n d g u t t e r s , r e m o v e
t h e t r a f f i c f i n e s f r o m y o u r r i g h t e o u s
m a n o e u v r e s , l o o s e t h e w o m b a t s i n y o u r
c i t y g r i d s a n d t i g e r s n a k e s i n t o y o u r

c a b l e c a r , d e l iv e r y o u r f o o d o f f
l i m b s a n d w i l d , b r e a k t h e
t h r e e p l a n e d c o r n e r s i n y o u r r o o m , a
f r e e d m o t o r c y c l e g e t s y o u t o t h e
k i t c h e n , l o o s e t h e e l e c t r i c s p i r i t
t h r o u g h t h e o n e s p a c e b e t w e e n u s
a l l , m a k e o b s o l e t e t h e i t e m i s e d
r e g u l a t i o n , b r i n g a l i v e u n a f f l i c t e d
m u t u a l i t y a n d g u n g - h o j o y , b r i n g i n
a b l a s t o f s p i r i t - c o s m o s t o m a r r y t h e
s n o w y w h i t e c a d a s t e r e d c u b e w i t h
g n a r l s m a r t e n e d e a r t h e n l i m b , t o
p l a n i t a l l t o g e t h e r u n d e r a w i s e

19
From raindrops to trickle flow: up where the trout dare not go ..
m o u n t a i n - b o r n b r o o k g a v e u p i t s g h o s t
C H E C K G L O S S A R Y :
ley lines, convict camp

Some brave little mountain fern shaking their fist in the hole in the
mall where the buried brook today dribbles through seeming
starved of its groundwater

21
Three planed corner – usually internal & seen at the ceiling. Once unknown
to prehomartians. One of peoplekind’s most significant creations; the corners
seem to counterplace the circular belt of sky that blends with the horizon
below it and the dome of the heavens above.

e t e r n a l p l a n a n d l e a r n t h e u l t r a - v i t a l
h e a r t - p u l s i n g c r u x o f w h y a n d h o w a
w o m a n l o v e s o n e m a n s u c h t h a t
t h e w o r t h o f a s m a l l b o x o f
c h o c o l a t e s m u s t b e m o r e t h a n h e r
m a n ' s m o s t a m b i t i o u s p l a n , a t i n y
g o s s a m e r - b u i l t t h r e a d o f w e b a n d a
p u l s e o f c u t t l i n g c o l o u r c a n e m b r a c e
a n d r a p t u r e a s t e e l e n c a b l e b u t
t h e r e ' s n e ' e r t h e t i m e t o s a y s o i n t h e
p a r l i a m e n t n o r t h e k i t c h e n . I n
u n d u t i f u l l y s h a p e d m o m e n t u m ,
i n t e r n a l i s i n g i n c r e m e n t b y b i t ,

d e e p e r g o o u r c i t i z e n s g r e a t a n d
m e r e a s t a l l e r c h i l d r e n , i n t e r n a l i s e ,
i n t e r n a l i s e , i n t e r n a l i s e , p l a s t e r e d
w a l l s , w a l l s , c o v e d c o r n i c e , c o r n e r
h e r e t u r n t h e r e s t r a i g h t a l o n g
t h r o u g h a d o o r , o ’ r h e a d w i r e s s i g n s
a d v e r t s s t a r b l o c k i n g l a m p s ,
p a v e m e n t s s t i f l e n a t u r e ’ s p h y s i c a l
b r e a t h , u n ’ r f o o t c o n c r e t e s l a b .
U n ’ r f o o t t h y a l a c i n e s t o o l , h o m e
t h r i v e s o u t o f n a t u r e , b e c o m e s
c u l t u r a l f i r s t , … n a t u r a l s e c o n d …
n a t u r a l s e c o n d m o r e s o a n d s o s a t - o n

25
i n t h e p r e s u m p t i o n o f h u g e
a b u n d a n c e i n t h e b u s h . T h e
e c o l o g i c a l c h i c k e n s c o m e h o m e t o
r o o s t i n t h e e n v e l o p e d o f f i c e s o f t h e
s p r a w l i n g b l a n k e t , k o s h e r f a s h i o n s .
K n o c k , k n o c k … w e k n o w y o u ’ r e
h o m e m o t h e r o f H o m a r t , p u l s i n g i n
b i o l o g i c a l , c u l t u r a l a n d g e o l o g i c a l
p a s s i o n s , g r a s p in g u p f i s t t h r o u g h
t h a t c r a c k i n t h e a s p h a l t e d
s o c i o f o o t p a t h . A n a s s w a s o u r
H o m a r t i a n p o l i t i c : e v e n n o w w i l l i t
w a l k o ’ r i t s o w n p e o p l e ’ s p a l m

27
f r o n d s t o f a c e t h e o p e n s l a t h e r o f
s u s p e c t i n g s o c i e t y , w a r p e d b y s h a r p
w i t t r a i n e d a t i t b y s p e c i a l i n t e r e s t s
a n d s o t h e r e s o l u t i o n f o r a c t i o n i s
n o t w h o l l y b r i l l i a n t . S u c h a p o l i t i c
w o n ’ t b e l i t t e r i n g t h e h e a v e n l y
f r e e d o m s , i n s p i r a t i o n a n d t h a t m i s t y
b l u e d a y t i m e c o v e r i n g t h e s t a r s u p
t h e r e , n o r i n t h e n i g h t i m e t o o t h e
t i m e l e s s g n a r l y m a g m a a n d w a t e r
g e o m o r p h u n ’ r f o o t c o v e r i n g t h e s t a r s
b ’ l o w a n d o ’ c o u r s e t o o t h e y ’ r e o f f t o
s i d e a l l a r o u n d . W h a t f u t u r e , ‘ t w e e n
t h e u p p e r a n d l o ’ e r s t a r s , o f o u r
t r e a s u r e , h u n d r e d s o f i s l a n d s
c u r r e n t l y c a l l e d e n - c o n g l o m e r a t e
‘ T a s m a n i a ’ , l e a v i n g t h e b i g g e s t o f
t h e m b a r e o f a n a m e o f i t s o w n

Spirit in this fire-
roasted spud – by the
writer

29
a n d s o a l l t h e s w e e t e r o f f r a g r a n c e .
W h a t f u t u r e i t s t o w n s , o n c e c l e a v e d
d e e p l y i n t i m a t e w i t h i d e n t i t y -
n u r t u r i n g l o c a l p l a c e b o u n t y ; a
m o u n t a i n t o s u m m i t a n d a f o o t y
m a t c h w i t h t h e H u o n v i l l i a n - c h i l d r e n
o f a b o a t - l o a d o f I r i s h w o m e n . W h a t
f u t u r e i s t h e r e w h e r e t h e t o w n c e n t r e
g r o w s a n d k i n d a t h r i v e s i n i t s d i r t y
o l ’ s t y l e o v e r t o p t h e o l d c o n v i c t
c a m p , b u t o n l y w h i l e c h o k i n g i t
m u c h l y a w a y . T h e t o w n -
l i m i t s a n d s h e - o a k e d
r o s e l l a s a l w a y s n e a r
e n o u g h ; t h e o l d
H o m a r t i a n s g r e w k n o w i n g - n o t t o n o t

g l a z e a w a y w i t h t h e i r b o d i l y
f l u i d i t i e s t h e w o n d e r o f t h i s p l a c e ,
b a s i c a l l y c a r e l e s s t h a t a c c i d e n t a l l y
s o m e o f t h i s p l a c e d i d r e m a i n i n
t o w n . C a m p e r s , s h a c k i e s , e c o -
d e v e l o p e r s , i n d u s t r y ; m a k i n g
i n t i m a t e l y d e t a i l e d d e v e l o p m e n t
l i m i t s , e p i d e r m i s t r a n s i t i o n s t o f r e e
w i l d w o n d e r ; m a k e s o m e b o l d l y
s t r u c t u r e d p r o p o s a l s . U n e a r t h t h e
s p i r i t a t l e a s t o f t h e b u r i e d
c r y s t a l l i n e f l o w , f r e e i n g i t t o t h e
c h i l d r e n . S h a r e w i t h o t h e r s a n d
c h e r i s h C a r l t o n ’ s b l u f f f o r i t s n a t u r e
s i m p l y b e i n g i n a c o n v e n i e n t p l a c e
a n d S e v e n M i l e ’ s h i l l a n d S n u g ’ s

31
… ENOUGH SAID; KEEP IT IN PLACE

SEE GLOSSARY: S e v e n M i l e ’ s
h i l l , S n u g D u n a l i e n s ,
C o r i n n i a n s
Our grotty little heart up Cascades in company with a buried brook.

33
Carlton Bluff – by Mont. Carlton; once a treasured homartian shack getaway.

b l u f f t o o . I n b u i l d i n g a n 8 t h W o n d e r ,
e n h a n c e o u r 1 s t
, t h e G o n d w a n i a n
t r e a s u r e i s l a n d s t o w h i c h b l i n d l y
a n d f a i n t o f h e a r t w e r e f e r a s ‘ t h e
S t a t e ’ b u t r e a l l y m e a n i n g
H o m a r t i a n s , D u n a l i e n s , C o r i n n i a n s
t o o , i n a w e s o m e p l a c e ; i m m u n e f r o m
S t a t e a r e o u r i s l a n d s a n d w a t e r s o u r
h o m e a n d p r i m a r y p o t a t o p a t c h - a
f o r e w o r d b y G o d . H o m a r t i a n s
c u l t i v a t e f r a m e - o f - m i n d , f r a m e - u p
c u l t i v a t i o n o f p l a c e , d i s c r e t i o n a r y
r e s p o n s e s , c o m m o n s e n s e . F a c e t h e
l i m i t s , o i l e d e p i d e r m i s u n s c a t h e d
a n d d o i n g t h a t n o w ; d o e s t h e
b o u n d a r y t o s t a r v a t i o n o n e d a y f a c e

35
r i g h t a b a c k a l o o k i n g a g a w k i n g – t h e
r a t i o n i n g o f e n e r g y h a v i n g b e e n
m e r e l y a f o o l i s h n e g l i g e n t w o o l -
o v e r .
T h i s H o m a r t i a n v i l l a g e i s a w e s o m e
i n t h e h i g h s p o t s , g l o s s i e s , i n t e r i o r s
a n d e p h e m e r a l v i t a l i t i e s ; b u t I l o n g
t h e r e f o r d e e p j u n g l e i n m y
e p h e m e r a … a n d d e s e r t t o o ; I s o a k -
u p t h e v a g u e d i s t a n t d e e p o c e a n a n d
i c y w i l d e r n e s s r e t u r n i n g t h e
e x h i l a r a t i o n l i k e f u l f i l l i n g c a m p i n g .
M y b e s t o f h o m e s a l w a y s r e q u i r e s
t h a t t i n g l y a w e o f t h e l i k e s o f
s l e e p i n g u n d e r s t a r s e n p l e i n a i r e n

The hole where the fern shakes its fist.

r o o t e d g r o u n d w a r m e d b y s t a r s a n d
m a g m a b e l o w , a w a k e n i n g b y t h e
v i l l a g e r i v e r , o f f t o t r a f f i c l e s s w o r k
n e a r b y , h o m e h a p p y g n o m e r a t h e r
n o t f u m e d e p l e t e d . E t e r n a l
e p h e m e r a l h a n d c r a f t e d c o u n t r y
v i l l a g e m a k i n g u s e o f t h e c r e a t i o n s
o f t h e b i g b i g c i t i e s a n d i n a b i g b i g
c l e a v e t h e t w o m u s t f l o w f l o w
t o g e t h e r l i t t l e b a c k y a r d b i g p o l i t i c s .
F o c u s t h e n u r t u r e ; w i l d n a t u r a l f r e s h
a n d b r i n e y e s t u a r y - a n a t u r a l
e d i f i c e l a p p i n g n e a r y o u r h e a r t , t i n y

39
p r e t t y c i t y , t i c k l i n g t h e t o e s o f a n
o p p o s i t e n a t u r a l e d i f i c e - a
h i l l h i p p e d m o u n t a i n . T w e e n t h e t w o ,
s a t i n t h e r e , h a n d m a c h i n e - b u i l t
s m i t e s i n g r o w i n g m a n y o f o u r o w n
a n d b l i n d i n g t h e m w i t h d e a d a i r ,
p l a s t i c , s t u n n e d m i n d s , f l u o r e s c e n t
l i g h t s a n d b o r i n g p l a i n
e x p r e s s i o n s o f e c o n o m i c p r i o r i t y .
T h a t ’ s t h e q u a n d a r y o f H o m a r t i a n -
s u l l i e d n a t u r e . T h e p o p u l a t i o n i s
n o t a s p u r e a s c r y s t a l l i n e w a t e r

f l o w . C u l t u r e t h a t s p o i l s o u r
c u l t u r e -
p o l i t i c s w e d e s e r v e . C a m p e r s
u n i t e . H a v e t h e p l a n n e r s f o r g o t y a s ! ! ?
M ’ s w e e t i e m ’ d a u g h t a
f e w d a y s u p t h e c o a s t ; y ’ k n o w t h e
s c e n e , e x u b e r a n t e x h i l a r a t e d p r i m a l
w a r r i o r u n l e a s h e d , g o o d o l d

41
f a s h i o n e d n a m e l e s s - i s l a n d c a m p i n g ;
n o t l i k e l y f o g o t t e n : j u s t s m a l l
i n c r e m e n t s : -
v e h i c l e b a r r i e r l o g s m o v e d i n ; f i r s t
p h a s e h e r i t a g e b a r r i e r , s m e l l y
t o i l e t s , c o m m e r c i a l m a n a g e m e n t a l l
f i r e b a n n e d c a r a v a n e n c o u r a g e d . T h e
p a l e o f o u r o f f i c e - s t u n n e d c o u l d l o v e
i t . P e r h a p s m y s t e r i o u s n e i g h b o u r s
o v e r a c c e s s w i l l p r e s i d e ; l e a v i n g a

43
t h i n s t r i p f o r i l l e g a l c a m p i n g . A l l
j u s t p o e t i c p o l i t i c r e s p o n s e t o
p i g g i e s l e a v i n g l i t t l e f l y - r i d d e n
p a p e r s t r e a m e d p a t s i n c r e m e n t a l
e x c r e m e n t s b l e n d e d w i t h b r o k e n b e e r
g l a s s a n d j u n k , a e s t h e t i c a n d
c h o l e r i c f o u l i n g t o a n y c r y s t a l l i n e
r i v u l e t w h i l e w e l o o k t o c a m p i n g
h e r i t a g e i n h e a l t h y c o m m u n i t y
l i f e s t y l e a r o u n d a c r a y e d f i r e n o t a
g a s l a m p n o t a p i x e l . S a v e o u r s o u l
o u r c a m p i n g h e r e o u r p o t a t o e s f o r
s u r e - c h a r r e d c o a l c o o k e d j a c k e t s o r

Old man River (the Domain grandstand would block Betsy & south Arm there)
by Mont

47
s t a i n l e s s s t e e l m a s h , h m m h m m .
N u r t u r e o u r s u b u r b a n i n t e r i o r
l o u n g e r o o m s t o o , i n c o m m u n i t y a n d
c o u n t r y s i d e , k e y t o h e a l t h y
e v e r y t h i n g ; e l a t i o n b y i n d i v i d u a l
a n d s h a r e d o w n e r s h i p a n d r i g h t f u l
p l a c e i s t h e c a b l e - f r e e p i n n a c l e o f
o u r p o l i t i c . C o u r t e o u s n a m e l e s s -
i s l a n d e r c o u n t r y b o d i e s a g r e e a n y
h o u s e h o l d e r b e i n g i n c o n v e n i e n c e d
b y i n n o c e n t s o c i o - p o l i t i c r e c e i v e s
c o m p e n s a t i o n o f p e r s o n a l p u b l i c
a p o l o g y a t l e a s t . L a n d - i n t e r v e n t i o n

m o m e n t a t a n g l e v a l u e s d i f f e r e n t t o
t o d a y ’ s ; B r i t i s h B u l l d o g g r a n t s a n d
c l a s s - c o n s c i o u s n e s s l a i d o v e r t h e
w a y s o f t h e l i k e s o f w o o l l y h e a d e d
e n d e m i c b r o w n m a n K i n g B i l l y a n d
t h o s e o f h i s c o u s i n k i n d w h o l i v e d i n
t h i s , t h e i r N i b a l u n i c l o c a l e . A l l t h i s
a p a r t o f t h e d i v e r s e v a l u a b l e s ,
s o c i a l , h i s t o r i c , m i n e r a l , a e s t h e t i c ,
u n t o u c h a b l e , h o n o u r a b l e o r w h a t e v e r
- o w n e d a s p l a c e b y l o c a l
c o m m u n i t y ; a l l t h i s i s s u p r e m e .
L o c a l o w n e r s h i p w i t h p o l i t i c a l

49
s u p r e m a c y i s m o d i f i e d b y
a g r e e m e n t s i n r e g i o n s a n d b e y o n d .
P r o p e r l y f u n d a m e n t a l l y y o u r y a r d -
n o t y o u r f e d e r a t i o n - b e a t s t h e h e a r t
o f h e a l t h i e s t c o m m u n i t y .
H o m a r t i a n s w e e p t h e p i l l o w g l o b a l
c o m p l e m e n t a r y a m i d l o c a l v i l l a g e
a l w a y s f r e e o f o r g o n e d a m p i n g
w a r p e d t e s t o s t e r o n i c c o n n e c t i o n .
S l o w t h e M c D o n o - c a b l e o v e r - r i d e .

P r a h n a W a f t i n g f r o m M e l a l e u c a – by Mont
G L O S S A R Y : N i b a l u n i c ,
M e l a l e u c a , K i n g B i l l y ,
B u l l d o g , P r a n a , o r g o n e ,
M c D o n o e t c

S o m e d o i n g s a r e s i g n i f i c a n t t o t h e
w h o l e o f t h e i s l a n d s ; a l l a f f e c t s o m e
s m a l l l o c a l e a n d s o a r e r e g i o n a l l y
s i g n i f i c a n t a n d o f l o c a l i n t i m a c y ; t h e
h e a l t h i e s t w a y - l o c a l c u l t u r a l
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s s u i t i n g f i n e l y f o r
h o m e i n t e r a c t i v i t i e s a n d v i s i t i n g
V i s i t a r t i o n s . A v o c a d o ? . . . n o t h a n k s
j u s t h a d o n e ; T r i a b u n n a t h e n , n o
j u s t h a d a b a g e l . L o u n g e s u p r e m e
u p - t o - t h e - m i n u t e k e y b o a r d
e v a l u a t i o n s i n H o m a r t i a n v o i c e s a t
h o m e .

53
GLINT ON THE HORIZON – by Mont

55
P e e l o f f t h e w r a p p e r , h o p e i t ’ s a
l i q u e u r , p o p o n e i n t h e p o c k e t f o r a
s t r e e t b o r n s o u l ; o r a r e y o u a l i e n -
p e r h a p s n o t s o m u c h n o w h a v i n g
e a s y - e a r e d t h i s v o i c e o f p i l l o w -
s w e e p i n g t y p e , b u t i f y o u h a v e t o
l e a v e c a n w e c o m e t o o ; a w a y f r o m
t h i s q u i e t l i t t l e t o w n , e v e n t h i s
n a m e l e s s i s l a n d w h e r e t h e g u m m y
s h e - o a k c o l o u r g r e e n s h a n g i n s l o w
m o v i n g t i m e s h a p e a n d m e r g e f o r t h e
p o e t s e y e a c r o s s t h e g e n t l i s h o c h r e d
g r a s s h i l l s c a w i n g w i t h d e e p b l a c k

57
c r o w s ; ‘ t h a a a r t h a a r k t h a r k ’ t h e y
c a w c a a w f r e s h e n e d b y t h e
l i g h t e n i n g g r e e n l o r i k e e t s f l i r t i n g
s w e e p t h e d a p p l e d l i m b s f l o w n i n
w a t t l e t o c a s u a r i n a f r o m t h e d e e p
d e e p h e a r t a w a y f r o m t h e s e a n e s t l e d
i n c r a c k l i n g b a r k g r o u n d l i t t e r a
b l u e t o n g u e l i z a r d i n s h e l t e r e d
h o l l o w p r o b a b l y u n a w a r e o f t h e
p r a h n a f r o m M e l a l e u c a a n d f a r a w a y
i c e c o n t i n e n t . J u s t l i k e w e q u i e t
H o m a r t i a n , m i n d - a n t e n n a e
w i t h d r a w n h a l f c o n s c i o u s o f b u t

59
i n f a c t e n j o y i n g t h e e n e r g i e s f r o m
a n A n t a r c t i c s t o r m l a p p i n g t h e l o c a l
b e a c h n e a r t h e i c e c r e a m s h o p ,
p r e f e r r i n g y o u r c o u n t r y r o o t s ,
l o v i n g o u r i n d u s t r i a l a n t e n n a e .
B e i n g r o w i n g d o in g
$∑

61
The
thaaaa
rrrrkke
d
Dolersaur
us .
FINISH

63
T h e f o l l o w i n g i s
s i m p l y t h e a u t h o r ’ s
g e n e r i c e l u c i d a t i o n s .
________________________________
_____________________
Abalone: popular rock shell
fish akin to Kiwi paua. Once
abundant in easy reach around
Homartian shores; where they
thrived with muscles, crayfish
and a particular cute little
starfish now being consumed to
extinction by the arrival of an
alien starfish. … as if the
slippery green rock coating
from industrial runoff wasn’t
enough. (when I was a boy
even a long time ago, I vowed
to clean up the river – this’s as
far as I’ve got.)
aboriginal: original people;
origin of the name ‘Aboriginal’.
Aboriginal: the native
people of the Australian
continent & its islands.
Blackfella; Harmoninni. Likely
floated over from India among
other. These original
‘Tasmanians’ copped from the
British the common cold and a
lot of shocking abuse,
disrespect and horror. Also
some would child-care for the
palefaces. King Billy I think from
the centre northwest is an
iconic name. It is beautiful that
contemporary culture is
adopting Aboriginal place &
topographic names – mount
Wellington/ kunanyi.
Corinnians: residents of
Corinna, north west Tasmania.
Cray: local Tasmanian rock
lobster also enjoyed in faraway
lands as is the abalone.

bastard scrub: term for
scrub that’s resistant to human
passage.
blue tongue lizard:
another Tasmanian icon
growing rarer.
Blundstone: local boot
maker of some pride to
Homartians.
buried brook: we bury the
drawcard of our settlement and
its urbane link – mountain top to
cove.
cabled impost: people with
assorted large twigs in their
eyes want to build a cable car
in the wrong place. If it does
politically go, as did the Iraq
war, it should be conditional
that it begin from the roof of the
City Hall – that way the built
heritage lobby could stop it
whereas the natural heritage
lobby carries nowhere near the
cred. Obviously natural heritage
carries no ego and only comes
from God. Following cable to
the Pinnacle (Mt Wellington)
comes a resort in Thark.
Carlton bluff: an hour east
of Hobart; a beautiful bonded
bookend to ParkCarlton Beach
land-granted to the army and
handballed to someone else,
barely productive land, zoned to
be given a patchworked skin
rash jewelled with window
squares, tinsheds, headlights
amid rectangle fences &
lawnmowings to drop of leprosy
from the soul of the beach.
convict camp: the first
tents here were set-up:
executive on the rise at the end
of Elizabeth & the convicts
down in mid mall. Good
surveillance from the executive
area over the convicts on one
side & the water highway on the
other.
Dolerite: the stone of the
gondwanian pre kunanyi
geomorphic thing west of
Hobart – challenged by the
dollar, right?

65
Dollar -right: dolerite
under shaded and captured by
money.
Dolersaurus: dollarsaurus,
rhetorical creature with dolerite
as flesh often seen resting
quietly like an old gray elephant
trunk tucked under crouched
blocking the fierce westerlies
from the little settlement by the
Derwent.
Dunaliens: residents of
Dunalley, south east Tasmania.
fighting foul
excrement: the ‘buried
brook’, the local rivulet, like
most if not all in global
settlement, was used as a
sewer and the locals copped
cholera. … drew drinking
water, falling ill not knowing
why.
geomorphic: land/water
form, characteristics,
developments & change. May
also be assumed to relate
biomorphic; the same in flora &
fauna
Gondwana: in my mind is
an ancient land lush with all and
awesome creatures and plants
unadulterated by people yet the
perfect place to live.
Indigenuity:
indigenousness
juxtoed :juxtaposed.
King Billy: Aborigine;
member of these island’s
aboriginals, known as the
Aborigines of the continent that
now supports Australia. Circa
1835-1869, last surviving male
of the Oyster Cove clan,
Following his death his body
was dismembered and used for
scientific purposes.
ley lines: The concept of
"ley lines" originates with Alfred
Watkins who also drew on
earlier ideas that alignments
might be oriented to sunrise
and sunset at solstices. In
1921he had been driving along

a road near a village. Attracted
by the nearby archaeological
investigation of a Roman camp,
he stopped to compare the
landscape with features on his
map. He saw, "like a chain of
fairy lights" a series of straight
alignments of various ancient
features - standing stones,
wayside crosses, causeways,
hill forts, and ancient churches
on mounds. Checking this
potential discovery from higher
ground he noticed many of the
paths seemed to connect one
hilltop to hilltop in a straight line.
He coined the term "ley" partly
because the lines passed
through places with ley in the
name. He believed this was the
ancient name for the trackways,
preserved in the modern
names. The ancient surveyors
who supposedly made the lines
were given the name "dodmen".
He believed, in ancient times
when Britain was more
densely forested, the country
was criss-crossed by a network
of straight-line travel routes,
with prominent features of the
landscape being used
as navigation points.
lorikeets: brilliant green
small parrots always plural but
never crowded.
Melaleuca: A small
settlement at the far southern
coast – nothing much but wild
bushland, plains and fresh air
between it and Hobart.
McDono-cable: Never did
want those hamburgers here to
stifle the corner burger shop
with big juicy homemade local
grown economy healthy and
hearty locale.
Nibaluna: this may be
something like the Palawan-I
think- (local people) name for
the stretch of water about the
Homartian docks – maybe it’s
mountain waters.
Orgone … putative energy
… assumed universal life force
… anti-entropic principle,
creative substratum in nature…
massless, omnipresent
substance, … luminiferous

67
aether … living energy more so
than inert matter … coalesce
across microscopic to
macroscopic , organisms,
clouds, galaxies…. held bodily
orgone deficit root of many
diseases…
Prahna: I think of this as
blowing with the air pollinating
as we breath it; the sum total of
all energy that is manifest in the
universe & the specialty of
locale.
Seven Mile Hill: similar
Carlton bluff of Hobart a virtual
wilderness beach about to be
degenitalled – what a waste of
such a treasure so close to the
capital city – what a gain to
those who join the fait
accomplish and build the
glassed loungerooms.
Snug bluff : similar Seven
Mile Hill but 20minutes south
and of a different intimacy and
value.
Regnans : Eucalyptus
regnans, known also as
mountain ash, Victorian
ash, swamp gum, Tasmanian
oak or stringy gum known to
attain heights over 114 metres
one of the tallest in the world
and the tallest flowering plant.
Street Canyon: a place
where kiddies are lost; full of
trouser cuffs, hubcaps, exhaust
pipes, stockinged legs, pole
bases, steps, trampled floors,
pavement and with walled sides
higher than the sky; where
children are easily totally
blinkered away from natures,
the simple natural joys lost to
our constructions but
sometimes plainly present to
their parents who may be
blissfully ignorant of their plight
and drown away their
objections with an icecream.
Testeronious
connector: well is kinda like
fouling the purity of the total
universal wonder by putting

69
your youness connection in a
wrong place.
Tharkian: having qualities
like The Thark, an area barely
trodden west of the kunanyi
Mount Wellington pinnacle.
Tiger snake: common local
poisonous snake.
Whales: there were 1000s of
them in the Derwent and the
estuary, 1000s teeming with
black whales up to sixty feet
long with young alongside in
winter to calve. Smaller
varieties too and porpoises.
Zzzzzzz: sorry if I put you to
sleep.
Z i p p i t y d o d a h
z i p p e r t y a a y …
m y o h m y w h a t
a w o n d e r f u l d a y
… … . .
I t ’ s t h e t r u t h …

It was actual …
e v e r y t h i n g
w a s
s a t I s f a c t u a l

This is what it might have looked like
from Criterion Street looking by the
future Town Hall site to where the
buried brook met the Derwent …
possibly should have been a few
Regnans painted in.

from Hunter Island before it was
named such looking through the future
Customs House … certainly should
have been numerous tall Regnans
painted in.
Picture courtesy of Anaya who at 5 y/o offered me
40cents for this picture while the paint was wet.

This is how it might have appeared
looking to that island from where the
Lord mayor now sits. It shows albeit
crudely the rocky connection to shore
which underpinned the causeway they
built … to become the umbilical and
indeed the source of Macquarie Street.
.

Stand yourself at the top of Kelly’s Step
and cast your mind back to one ripper
dawn blazing light onto that hunter
Island and lifting the shallows that lie
towards the Parliament gardens.
Sunlight courtesy of …

Rosellas (not correctly coloured) like
Lorikeets sweeping in mutual embrace
with the leaves and limbs and wind.
These were actually eastward at Wattle
Hill but the scene is pretty much the
same.

Should be Regnans in this too, but then
Kananyi likely wouldn’t be visible; this
from down Wapping way from the
street in behind the Roberts building
looking to Wellington bridge at
Elizabeth Mall. Don’t know how the
old tyre got there, no rubber in those
days.

from Stowell lookinh over the
Salamanca warehouses to the Domain;
there is a wedgetailed eagle just flew
out of the picture. The cappacino sits at
Elizabeth Wharf..

Homartian
for
y o u r L i b r a r y ,
F r i e n d , V i s i t o r , D e s i g n e r , T e a c h e r ,
D e v e l o p e r , P o l i t i c i a n , C h i l d , C o m p a n i o n ;
a s a H o u s e W a r m e r o r t o R e t a i l .
Go to
Bookshops
Hobart Bookshop
bookstore.bookpod.com.au
deboxdebox@gmail.com
facebook.com/HouseFandango
facebook.com/Homartian

For very welcome feedback direct to author,
enquiry, comment or purchase:
M John Latham, Manager
Debox Publications
16 Sanfrancisco St, Sorell, Tasmania, Australia 7172
deboxdebox@gmail.com
facebook.com/Homartian
facebook.com/HouseFandango
Search: debox Tasmania, debox degrid, Monte John Latham, HouseFandango,
Homartian, House Essence

ADDITIONAL BOOKS by Monte John Latham
 Housefandango
“HouseFandango” is a phenomenon – the product of an
exuberant creativity, a mind ever restless, fluid, alert to
manifold possibility, uncontained. Such an intelligence
might change the world. We need to listen to Monte John
Latham, then. His is a wisdom that roams wide and free,
at the same time as it focuses down upon the most urgent
question of our age: how should we live, how should we
dwell, how should we be? Here is the dance of people and
place – a veritable house fandango, and its dancemaster
steps us forth from the very earth, its magic, the bedrock
on which civilisation rests, to the place-nurturing, self-
nurturing, self-constructing activity that is nothing less
than making a home on earth. Come with Monte John –
dance his dance of life-affirming love.
Pete Hay, POET, ESSAYIST AND PHILOSOPHER OF PLACE,
( 2013 TASMANIA BOOK PRIZE - PEOPLE'S CHOICE)
 Wow Hows the House Now (out of print). Old title of
HouseFandango.
 House Essence (ebook). An essence of HouseFandango.
 There Are (ebook) . A short few words: identity, people, place.
Coming up
 The Architecture of Fire
 Spirit in the Sky
 The Shallows Where We Fizz.
 Nomurbic Office

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