THE WIT OF A.J. WALDOCK
Dr and Mrs
Waldock
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Rev.
Roy Henson is the
acknowledged expert in Baptist circles on the life of Dr A.J. Waldock. In
this article he gives us an insight into the wit of our church's first
Minister.
Among the many attributes
of Canberra's first Baptist minister was a very fine wit. He |
displayed it
in general conversation and sermons, as well as his many writings. Here
are a few examples:
"There
is no city in the Commonwealth so much talked about as Canberra. Some of the
talk is not at all nice, and a lot of it is not at all true. The prevailing idea
is that Canberra is responsible for the present depression in Australia, if not
in the whole world. If we had not spent money on the building of Canberra,
Australia at this hour would be rolling in prosperity. The present shortage of
money is due to Canberra. Canberra is responsible for bad trade, unemployment,
the National debt, and the exorbitant taxes under which we groan. I wonder it
has not occurred to someone to blame Canberra for the New Zealand earthquake,
the Brisbane floods, and the drought of America. Canberra residents are almost
afraid to venture outside the federal territory.. If people discover where
they belong they gather their robes about them and pass by on the other side.
Canberra! The source of all our woes. Australia's white elephant.(But) the
people who do such horrible things (in Canberra) do not even live in
Canberra.. They generally arrive in Canberra by the latest train before
Parliament meets, stay a few days, and then after doing all the unpleasant
things they can think of in the short time at their disposal, steal away by the
first train after the House rises. And when a gasping public reads in the
morning paper the extent of their iniquity, all Australia shouts, "There you
are, Canberra again!" And not a single citizen of Canberra has had so much as
a voice or a vote in the business."
"Can any good thing come out of Canberra?" - Australian Christian World
1933
"The number of Baptists in the Commonwealth Public Service
is negligible, so that few come to us by transfer. And some that do might as
well have stayed where they were".
- reporting
in The Australian Baptist, 1937
"I
strongly urge you to be careful who you let into your pulpits. When I go away on
holidays, I choose the worst preacher I can find to take my place. And when I
return, my people say to me, 'Welcome home Dr Waldock, it's good to have you
back'"
-
speaking at a Ministers'
Fraternal at the NSW Baptist Assembly, c1940
There was an
occasion when he was attending an evening function in the city, and had forgotten
to leave his car's parking lights on, as required by law in those days. A
policeman entered the meeting and advised Waldock of his omission. The good
doctor thanked him, and then asked the policeman if he would be so kind as to
turn the lights on for him as he went out, which the policeman obliged!
- related by someone present at the time, c1942
"When asked whether he had had any
interesting experiences a smile spread across his face, and Dr Waldock said that
to hear them, the reporter would have to wait until he was leaving Brisbane
which would be in a fortnight's time."
- described as a "notable visitor" in The Brisbane Telegraph, 1927
Roy Henson
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