cartoonist, was a regular contributor to the Bulletin from the late 1910s. In 1918 he was living at 'Ravenswood’, Hampden Road, Artarmon and at Tindale Road, Artarmon in 1922. Characteristically, this suburban Sydney resident specialised in bushie and Aboriginal jokes, e.g. original Bulletin cartoon (ML*D491/150), published 17 January 1918, showing an old Aboriginal man talking to a bushie and his two companions (one a swaggie) about a young Aboriginal man on a bucking horse in the background: '[title illegible on photocopy]/ Bushman: I’d like to see him [ill. chuck?] Young Bob./ Ole Bob: You loaferphella likert plurry fun, you do. That Yarraman breakit Young Bob neck, baah you pay it doctor get 'im fixed up again. No plurry fear.’ Annotated 'Memo Editor : You asked me to try this drawing again with another gag. To get a gag anyway suitable, I’ve had to alter the background slightly. H.W.M.’
Moffitt had another gag in the Bulletin (original *D491/154), sent to the etcher at 3.00 p.m on 16 May 1922 and published as '1st Abo’ on 1 June. In this case, two suggested gags were offered – both thought to be by Moffitt though there is some speculation one may have been sent in by a reader. The second was preferred.
(1st suggestion) Not on Show./ Black tracker: “Goin’ into Lismore show, eh? Why hasn’t Tilly got a short skirt now to be in the fashion?/ Jiggi Joe: That alright young girl showem leg get it husband. No plurry good to married woman like it Tilly.
(2nd suggestion) A Dinkum Aussie Bride./ Tracker: Goin’ in to git married, eh! Wonder you didn’t do it over in England like all the other diggers./ Jiggi Joe (ex-digger [crossed out]): Well yer see that kind of thing is playin’ it plurry low down on our girls; and anyway an Australian girl is good enough for me.
He had a similar drawing and gag in Smith’s Weekly 28 June 1924, 13: '[Black] Tracker [mounted on horse]: “Don’t you blacks come pokin’ round after me in Lismore!”/ Susie: “You plurry smart, you are, tellem eberybody you Australian black! Plurry liar. You only plurry Queenslander!”
- Writers:
- Kerr, Joan
- Date written:
- 1996
- Last updated:
- 2007
