News about Edmund Barton

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS: The first documented representation of a handshake appears in a relief of Assyrian King Shalmaneser III's Throne Dais, which dates to about 846-845 BC. It depicts him shaking hands with King Marduk-shumi I of Babylon. Shalmaneser's support for Marduk-shumi, his unpopular brother, Marduk-bel-usati, and the ascension of Marduk-shumi to the throne are captured on the scene.

Arlene Mehan (left) wants the statue of Australia's first prime minister, Sir Edmund Barton, torn down from a waterfront park in Port Macquarie, but not everyone agrees that it's the right idea. His statue is the newest monument to a significant historical figure to be earmarked for removal in recent years due to previous 'racist' behavior. Barton, the prime minister from 1901 to 1903, is widely believed to have been a key architect of the White Australia policy.