The indispensable conditions for an Australian Governor in Australian eyes are as follows:—
He must be a titled nobleman of really ancient and distinguished family, for the Australian Society folks "dearly love a lord."
He must possess a large private income and be prepared to spend it in addition to his salary.
He must be an ardent sportsman and bon viveur, and yet be on terms of sympathy with the Anti-Gambling Society and the Tee-total Party.
He must entertain right royally.
He must have no strong political opinions or, if he has, he must keep them to himself.
He should be able to make a humorous, graceful and good-natured speech, neither biassed nor erudite, on any subject that may come prominently forward.
He must lay aside all aristocratic "airs," and be prepared to shake every caller's hand at levees, etc.
Lastly, but by no means least in importance, he must possess a wife of an amiable disposition, who will mix on cordial terms with the ladies, condescend to "talk chiffons" and even scandal when required; and one, who in addition to being a perfect hostess, must hold herself ever ready to be at the beck and call of the general public to lay foundation stones, open bazaars and perform the hundred-and-one similar social functions.
These qualifications are not severe, and many men going out for a life of pleasure would find little difficulty in fulfilling them. The stumbling-block to most aspirants would be in the two first clauses, for one need only glance over the peerage to find to his astonishment how few really representatives of ancient families are possessed of good incomes. The large incomes are enjoyed by the self-made men who have been raised to the peerage of late years, but though Australians would object to a poor man, they would not have a wealthy, self-made man, however celebrated he might be, at any price; for the Colonies are great respecters of, and believers in, blue blood, as they possess an abundance of the commoner quality already.