AustLit

'Paterson included a version of this song in his revised edition of Old Bush Songs, 1924, under the title of "The Beautiful Land of Australia" and [it was] subsequently included in the Stewart and Keesing edition as "The Settler's Lament". The version here [i.e. 'Australia and Its Traditional Music - A Brief Overview : Songs about Pioneering 2'] was located in John Henderson's Excursions and Adventures in New South Wales. Captain Henderson, of the 78th Highlanders, had two volumes of his book published in 1854 and included this song implying that he composed it en route to Australia, adding that it was sung to the tune "King of the Cannibal Islands." It is more likely the work of Surgeon Goodwin who was in the Colony prior to Henderson.'

Source: Warren Fahey, 'Australia and Its Traditional Music - A Brief Overview : Songs about Pioneering 2', http://warrenfahey.com/
Sighted: 25/08/2010