Soldier, jackaroo, educator, journalist, religious minister
Gordon Tidy (7 January 1862 – 30 April 1953)[note 1] was a journalist in Australia before returning to England as a minister of religion, among other occupations. His friendships included with poets
Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963),
A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson (1864–1941),
Arthur Bayldon (1865–1958), and
Henry Lawson (1867–1922), and war historian
Charles E. W. Bean (1879–1968).[1]
In 1871, aged 9, with a brother, Tidy was living with his parents at Thorpe Hall, Wycliffe with Thorpe,
Yorkshire. He was later educated at
Wellington College, Berkshire, England.
Tidy left the military as it was indicated he 'found the financial pace too hot, and abandoned the profession of Blood, after a while'.[6] Close friend Scottish-Australian poet and bush balladeer
Will H. Ogilvie on the other hand indicated it was because Tidy 'could not ride!'[7]
Australia
From military life, Tidy went to sea, arriving in Australia and took up
jackarooing. It was at Maaoupe station, near
Penola, South Australia, and later at Nelungaloo station, near
Parkes, New South Wales, that he served as tutor to the children of the station managers and owners.[1][7] Tidy met his life-long friend
Ogilvie at Maaoupe, and together with Ogilvie, they formed a friendship with
Harry 'Breaker' Morant (1864–1902) at Nelungaloo. He would later write Morant's obituary following the
Second Anglo-Boer War court-marshal.[8]
Trout fishing was one interest of Tidy,[9] and likely contributed to his penning of two later books.
Journalism
Tidy moved from station life to editor of
Parkes' Western Champion newspaper. He was a contributor to The Bulletin, and also wrote under the pen name '
Mousquetaire'.[8] More than once, Ogilvie and Morant would be up late with Tidy helping produce the Monday edition of the Champion.[10]
Religious minister
Finishing with
Condobolin's newspaper, the Argus, following in the calling of his grandfather, in January 1898 Tidy became a
catechist with the
Church of England in the
Nymagee district.[11]
Tidy administered with noted scholastic sermons both in Australia and England, whilst also temporarily converting to the
Catholic Church.
1911 (February) – Received into the Catholic Church, at
Saint Stanislaus' College, Bathurst, before going to the Saint Columbus College,
Springwood.[2] After travelling to Rome, identifying it was going to take five years to qualify as a priest, and being 54-years-of-age, Tidy reviewed his situation;[18][19][20]
1912 (May) – Reinstatement into the Anglican church;[21]
Tidy died on 30 April 1953,
Pontesbury,
Shropshire, aged 91, as the last surviving son of his parents. He is buried in nearby Saint Lucia churchyard,
Upton Magna.
'Four friends' (1902), referring to fellow Australian poets
Gordon,
Ogilvie,
Lawson, and
Paterson. The poem was published under Tidy's pen name 'Mousquetaire' in The Bulletin, 14 June 1902.[32]
'Across the black soil plains' (1902).[33] The poem was based on
George Washington Lambert's painting '
Across the black soil plains' of a horse team dragging a laden wool-waggon. His words have been compared to but not as powerful as Ogilvie's 'How the Fire Queen crossed the swamp'.[34] The poem was published under Tidy's pen name 'Mousquetaire' in The Bulletin, 30 October 1902.
'From an old inhabitant' (1915), relating to the Forbes District.[36]
'A rhyme of good advice' (1923), a response to Ogilvie's new anthology Galloping shoes.[24]
Books
Surtees on fishing (1931), 63 pages, limited edition of 500 copies, published by Constable & Co. Limited, London. Relates to sports writer
Robert Smith Surtees (1805–1864).
A little about Leech (1931), a monograph on sporting artist and caricaturist
John Leech (1817–1864).[1]
^In 1912 Tidy stated as a reason for returning from attempting the Catholic priesthood that he was 54, making his date of birth c. 1858 (Forbes Times, 1 May 1912). Registration documents and a 1939 census indicate he was born in 1862.
^"Local and General". Lachlander and Condobolin and Western Districts Recorder. New South Wales, Australia. 28 September 1904. p. 4. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via Trove.
^"Narromine". Western Champion. New South Wales, Australia. 21 October 1904. p. 6. Retrieved 16 February 2020 – via Trove.
^"Local and general". Lachlander and Condobolin and Western Districts Recorder. New South Wales, Australia. 19 September 1906. p. 4. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via Trove.
^"Local and District". Molong Express and Western District Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 4 May 1912. p. 9. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via Trove.
^"July "Lone Hand."". The Farmer & Settler. New South Wales, Australia. 7 July 1911. p. 7 (Farm and Home Section). Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via Trove.