Mildura

Where the sunlight, burning down, Lights her luscious orange groves, Lights the river and the town; Where the placid Murray roves; Where each shining summer gives Life to loveliness serene; Here the tropic lady lives 'Mid her almost tropic scene. Palm trees spreading to the sun, Dusk of lemon, sheen of vine; Vitamin and vigour won And imprisoned, till the wine, Gushing from the purple grape In the press, allows again Golden sunlight to escape These the dower of her domain. Gay and glad and vigorous, Winning wealth from summertime, Glorious gifts she gleans for us Dwellers in a colder clime; Conjuring from her kindly earth Golden fruits to give men joy Well this lady knows the worth Of her Arcadian employ. Tropic lady! Well she knows Whence her brave abundance comes. Wealth, where her broad river flows, Bordered by its spreading gums; Comes with waters winding down From the cold lands of the east, Suffering her sun-kissed town To spread for us a kingly feast.