Yesterday (19th January 2026), one of our volunteer members of The Knighthood received this letter back in the post labelled “Return to Sender“. The letter had not even been opened. Check the dates – posted on 6th December 2025, and received back ‘RTS’ 19th Jan 2026 – so a six week turnaround. One wouldn’t want the Japs to invade Australia this time of year.
It had been addressed to Loddon Prison ‘Intelligence Unit’ concerning an intended personal visit to incarcerated Julian Knight (a political prisoner of the Victorian State Government) at Loddon Prison.
So, note the sticker’s explanation by the Loddon Prison Intelligence Unit: “Left Address/Unknown“.
Not checked “Insufficient Address” or “Refused” or Unclaimed”, but “Left Address/Unknown“. So has Julian Knight escaped Loddon Prison? If so, where he are?
Here we hark back to Australia’s Banjo Paterson’s famous poem of ‘Clancy of the Overflow‘ of 1889.
That classic Australian poem opens thus:
I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago, He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him, Just "on spec", addressed as follows: "Clancy, of The Overflow". And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected, (And I think the same was written in a thumbnail dipped in tar) 'Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it: "Clancy's gone to Queensland droving, and we don't know where he are."
Clearly, the name ‘Loddon Prison Intelligence Unit‘ is oxymoronic.
This is that letter, had the ‘Intelligence Unit’ opened it:
Saturday, 6th December 2025
Prison Intelligence Unit
Loddon Prison
Locked Bag 3
CASTLEMAINE VICTORIA 3450
To Whom It May Concern,
RE: MY PLANNED PERSONAL VISIT TO PRISONER, Mr JULIAN KNIGHT
Corrections Reference Number: XXXXX
I am a personal friend of Julian Knight, currently prisoner at Loddon Prison with medium security risk status.
I wish to make a solo personal face-to-face ‘contact’ visit to see him at Loddon Prison in 2026. I am aware that the prisoner concerned must make the visit booking in advance, not me. I have read through the Corrections Victoria website about visiting a person in prison:
https://www.corrections.vic.gov.au/contact-or-visit-a-prison/visit-a-person-in-prison
My planned visit date is May on a Monday, which I understand is one of the available days for prison visits at Loddon. I am considering either (A) XX May 2026 or (B) XX May 2026.
Since I live in XXXXXX, I wish to make sure that my visit is possible and can be approved by the prison authority, once Julian Knight has made the necessary prior permission arrangements with Loddon Prison. This will be well in advance of my visit.
Given the distance I need to travel from XXXXXXX and the necessary travel costs, I seek the prior approval of Loddon Prison that I am approved to visit Julian Knight, and that there would be no mitigating circumstances that may prevent me visiting him in Loddon Prison.
I have already corresponded by email, postage and phone with Julian for some years. He was transferred to Loddon in late September 2025 due the Victoria Government’s planned permanent closure of PPP scheduled for the end of this year.
I have previously visited Julian twice whilst he was at PPP, and without issue. Feel free to check. I have no criminal history and I have never been banned from visiting any prison. PPP is the only prison I have ever visited and I am familiar with the visitation rules at PPP. I am aged XX years. I have never had COVID and have been vaccinated more than 5 times against it, and I am fit and healthy with no ailments.
I await your confirmation by reply before I arrange my prison visit date and time directly with Julian first in advance, then to book and pay for my return flight, hire car, accommodation stay nearby to Castlemaine in XXXXXXX.
If you require further details then kindly please let me know.
Yours faithfully,
(by a mate of Julian Knight)
CLANCY OF THE OVERFLOW – A.B. “Banjo” Paterson
I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago,
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
Just "on spec", addressed as follows: "Clancy, of The Overflow".
And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,
(And I think the same was written in a thumbnail dipped in tar)
'Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
"Clancy's gone to Queensland droving, and we don't know where he are."
In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving "down the Cooper" where the western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing,
For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.
And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars.
I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy
Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall,
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city
Through the open window floating, spreads its foulness over all.
And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle
Of the tramways and the buses making hurry down the street,
And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting,
Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramping feet.
And the hurrying people daunt me, and their pallid faces haunt me
As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste,
With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy,
For townsfolk have no time to grow, they have no time to waste.
And I somehow fancy that I'd like to change with Clancy,
Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go,
While he faced the round eternal of the cashbook and the journal -
But, I doubt he'd suit the office, Clancy of "The Overflow".
The Bulletin, 21 December 1889.
