The ABC documentary about the man inside Dame Edna reminded one Little Darwin possum of a strange NT happening. Brandishing a gladioli stalk like the Fairy Godmother’s wand , Director of (Aboriginal ) Welfare, Harry Giese presented an unusual sight when he strode down the corridor of power in Block 3 back in the l970s. Triumphantly, he announced a giant leap forward in Aboriginal horticultural ventures- growing the flowers that would make Dame Edna and Australia famous /infamous.
Gladies, he trumpeted, were being grown at the Maningrida farm, now regarded as a tragic place because of the allegations surrounding Bob Collins, and could become a moneyspinner for the settlement . Despite Harry’s enthusiasm, a check revealed that the corms of glads grown in the tropics tend to be small and subsequent flowers inferior. In those days, the NT political sport was known as harrying the geese –giving Giese a tough time – just like Dame Edna does today with her celebrity guests. .
Gladies, he trumpeted, were being grown at the Maningrida farm, now regarded as a tragic place because of the allegations surrounding Bob Collins, and could become a moneyspinner for the settlement . Despite Harry’s enthusiasm, a check revealed that the corms of glads grown in the tropics tend to be small and subsequent flowers inferior. In those days, the NT political sport was known as harrying the geese –giving Giese a tough time – just like Dame Edna does today with her celebrity guests. .
