'Never despair, though humble in thy lot, Success may come when you expect it not. Work wide the reef – it hath a golden spot.' (Nil Desperandum, 1901)

Redman worked the reef very wide indeed. In 1902 he founded the Martian Scientific, Literary, and Debating Society, dedicated to "arousing interest in the idea of interplanetary communication". "My own special idea is to cover one of the elevated lakes of Switzerland with petroleum, and on a dark night, when Mars is in opposition, ignite it," he wrote. Other ideas included outfitting the Australian military with helmets based on the "antique Roman model", and bisecting Adelaide with a 300 foot-wide-road to celebrate a visit by the Duke of Cornwall.

In 1903 Redman published Australia: an Epic, where he revealed, in blank verse, that Aboriginals were descended from ancient Egyptians and that Alexander the Great had once paid a visit. "For the rest," wrote a critic, "he is reviving the dry bones of history, and is less happy."

That same year Redman entered a Ballarat literary competition and won the children's section by mistake. "It has been a great annoyance to me, being extensively known as a businessman, to see my name in print as under 16, as though I had competed unfairly with juveniles," he fumed.

Soon after, Redman sold his Adelaide tailoring business, and for almost 10 years absented himself from public life.

During the war years he resurfaced in Double Bay, Sydney, where he set about rousing the nation. Redman had previously advocated for the creation of an Australian poet laureate, perhaps seeing himself in the role. In May 1915 he published Australia Answers, an eight-page volume, two pages of which contained portraits of Redman looking, as one critic wrote, "…all the poet a photographer could make him". The book was not well received.

In August, Redman submitted Stars That Unnoticed Fall:

'…Men of genius There are who are not known; the blinding glare That radiates from out the commonplace, Destroys their moony radiance.'

He rallied, however, and that same month advertised in the Herald, seeking "a gentleman of leisure and scholastic attainment, who would assist him in producing a monumental work".

Sadly, we'll never know if Redman found his "golden spot". He never published again.