This cartoon in the New Zealand Free Lance in January 1901 is entitled 'Maoriland's message to united Australia'. The caption reads: 'Handy Man Dick: Good morning ladies. Just pulled across to tell ye as how your sister New Zealand wishes you a real good time and is sorry she can't join in your Commonwealth trip. Ye see she's easy with a little picnic of her own. But she hopes to be with you and the rest of the family at the Imperial Federation Ball.' New Zealand decided not to join the Australian federation largely because the country wished to chart its own course under the leadership of Richard Seddon ('Handy Man Dick').
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past
Reference:
New Zealand Free Lance, 5 January 1901, p. 7
Permission of the National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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