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| Thomas Whitley 1891 State Library NSW |
... to New South Wales. Here he became a popular rhymster
but repeating his old failings was again sentenced to Van D.
Land, and in due course was sent to Port Arthur. While at
this penal settlement Frank became a great favourite
with bond and free, always escaping punishment by
his ready wit and improvisation, or extemporaneousness.
Frank was a Roman Catholic, of a strange type, but he
made fun of of all religions, particularly the orthodox part.
At a station in N.S.Wales where the priest called quarterly
some untoward circumstances detained his reverence and
Frank was detailed to officiate for the absent clergyman. The lay-
reader (Frank) as so entertaining on this occasion that some of
the officers interviewed him and extracted a promise that Frank
would furnish them with a spice of his poetry on the
creed he professed, and being strongly imbued with the ideas
of convictism, naturally Frank wrote in that strain.
Years lang syne, Frank's emanations were well known
and repeated by thousands all over New South Wales and
Van Dieman's Land, Norfolk Island included. Thuswise – ...
