The Secret Key and Other Verses (1906) is the fourth collection of poems by Australian poet George Essex Evans.
It was released in hardback by Angus and Robertson in 1906, and features the poems "The Women of the West", "Ode for Commonwealth Day", and "Loraine".
[1] The poet notes in the Original edition: "Some of these verses are taken from Loraine; many others, including the title piece and " The Commonwealth Ode" have not previously appeared in book form.
For permission to include such later verses the author is indebted to the proprietors of THE BULLETIN, ARGUS, AGE, AUSTRALASIAN, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, COURIER, QUEENSLANDER, TOOWOOMBA CHRONICLE, and DARLING DOWNS GAZETTE.
"[2] A reviewer in The Australian Town and Country Journal found: "This book contains about sixty pieces all in the best style of the poet, and of these the Commonwealth Ode (which was awarded the fifty guinea prize by the Commonwealth Government), and about twenty other poems have not hitherto appeared in book form.