From humble beginnings – Toby Tosspot
Edmund Barton had been known as 'Toby' since childhood. The Bulletin magazine named him 'Toby Tosspot' in the 1880’s, after a poem by George Colman. It was based on Barton’s love of long dinners with more than a few glasses of fine wine – a ‘tosspot’ is a slang term for an habitual drinker. His opponents latched onto it as an insult, and continued using it long after Barton’s retirement.
Sir Edmund Barton’s achievements
Sir Edmund Barton was Australia’s first Prime Minister after the federation of the 6 British colonies on 1 January 1901. He was a tireless advocate for Federation for many years and was selected as a delegate to the Federal Convention in Sydney in March 1891. He was one of the trio of delegates (the others being Griffith and Kingston) given the task of producing the draft constitution. This draft became what is to all intents and purposes, the Australian constitution.
Prior to Federation he was the member of the Legislative Assembly for the Hastings - Macleay 1898 – 1899 and hence he is commemorated in Port Macquarie in a very prominent location – which lately has raised some angry discourse due to his (at the time) well supported racist policies, that are today completely out of step with our culture.
Among the first Acts of Barton’s government in 1901 was legislation to restrict immigration, thus instituting the White Australia policy. The legislation was specifically designed to limit non-British migration to Australia. In addition the constitution that he helped draft specifically excluded Aboriginal people.
The cache
Hidden in a very public location, which sometimes makes you invisible, but please still make yourself inconspicuous. The cache is a very thin type and needs to be magnetically attached to a metal strip in the roof of the hole. Do not leave lying around on the floor!