Our Country : Classic Australian Poetry : From the Colonial Ballads to Paterson & Lawson
anthology
Latest Issues
Contents
- The Sick Stock-Rider The Sick Stockrideri"Hold hard, Ned! lift me down once more, and lay me in the shade,", single work poetry (p. 14-16)
- The Great Australian Adjectivei"The sunburnt -- stockman stood,", single work poetry (p. 17)
- McCarthy's Brew : A Gulf Country Yarni"The teams of Black McCarthy crawled adown the Norman road,", single work poetry humour (p. 18-19)
- Who's Riding Old Harlequin Now?i"They are mustering cattle on Brigalow Vale,", single work poetry (p. 20-22)
- The Geebung Polo Clubi"It was somewhere up the country, in a land of rock and scrub,", single work poetry humour (p. 23-24)
-
Mulga Bill's Bicyclei"`TWAS Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze",
single work
poetry
humour
(p. 25-26)
Mulga Bill’s Bicycle was written by Banjo Paterson in 1896. It was written at a time when cycling was a relatively new and popular social activity. Cycles were ridden everywhere, including in the outback by shearers and other workers who needed to travel cheaply. It tells the hilarious story of Mulga Bill, who thinks he’s much better at cycling than he turns out to be. A resounding crash sends him back to his original mode of transport – his trusty horse. Kilmeny and Deborah Niland’s delightful illustrations catch the mood and humour of Paterson’s verse with great spirit, and this book has become an enduring classic.
Synopsis of the illustrated picture book.
Source: Harper Collins
(http://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780207172847/mulga-bills-bicycle/#sm.00001nzfrcbsrdd2gtij7q97dp0qg)
- A Bush Christeningi"On the outer Barcoo where the churches are few", single work poetry humour (p. 27-28)
- The Man from Snowy Riveri"There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around", single work poetry (p. 29-32)
- Said Hanrahani"'We'll all be rooned,' said Hanrahan,", single work poetry humour (p. 33-35)
- Clancy of the Overflowi"I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better", single work poetry (p. 38-39)
- The Old Australian Waysi"The London lights are far abeam", single work poetry (p. 40-42)
- The Song of Old Joe Swallowi"When I was up the country in the rough and early days,", single work poetry humour (p. 43-45)
-
Progressi"They've builded wooden timber tracks,",
single work
poetry
(p. 46)
Note: With title: 'They've Builded...'
-
Echoes of Wheels and Singing Lashesi"Echoes of wheels and singing lashes",
single work
poetry
(p. 47-48)
Note: With title: 'Echoes of Wheels...'
- Returni"The ruthless bush is grown along the track,", single work poetry (p. 49)
- Jim Jones Jim Jones at Botany Bayi"O listen for a moment, lads, and hear me tell my tale,", single work poetry (p. 52)
-
The Convict's Lament on the Death of Captain Logan
The Convict's Arrivali"I am a native of the land of Erin, and lately banished from that lovely shore;",
single work
poetry
(p. 53-54)
Note: Attributed to 'Anonymous'.
- Colonial Experiencei"When first I came to Sydney Cove", single work poetry (p. 55-56)
-
Botany Bay Courtship
The Lass in the Female Factory
No. I : Australian Courtshipi"The Currency Lads may fill their glasses",
single work
poetry
(p. 57-58)
Note: With title: Botany Bay Courtship
-
The Wild Colonial Boyi"'Tis of a wild Colonial boy, Jack Doolan was his name",
single work
poetry
(p. 59-60)
'The Wild Colonial Boy' is a traditional Irish/Australian ballad of which there are many different versions. It has been argued that the original version was really about Jack Donahoe (variously spelled Donahoo or Donahue), an Irish transport who arrived at Sydney Cove in 1825, and was subsequently convicted of highway robbery and sentenced to death. He escaped and waged a guerrilla war against the wealthy for more than two years in the country around Sydney. On September 1st 1830 he was ambushed by a police party near Cambelltown and shot dead, his companions Webber and Warmsley escaping into the bush. This version was eventually outlawed as seditious so the name of the protagonist changed.
The resulting Irish version is about a young emigrant, named Jack Duggan, who left the town of Castlemaine, County Kerry, Ireland, for Australia in the 1800s. According to the song (and in keeping with the true story of Jack Donahoe), he spent his time there 'robbing from the rich to feed the poor'. In the song, the protagonist is fatally wounded in an ambush when his heart is pierced by the bullet of Fitzroy.
The Australian version has Jack Doolan (or sometimes Jack Dowling) as the protagonist, and here Castlemaine refers to the Australian town in Victoria. In both versions variation in the wording and language occurs across different sources.
In his Old Bush Songs, Banjo Patterson wrote: "it will be noticed that the same chorus is sung to both 'The Wild Colonial Boy' and 'Bold Jack Donahoo'. Several versions of both songs were sent in, but the same chorus was always made to do duty for both songs." This chorus, included in some (not all) Australian versions is as follows:
- Come, all my hearties,
- we'll roam the mountains high,
- Together we will plunder,
- together we will die.
- We'll wander over valleys,
- and gallop over plains,
- And we'll scorn to live in
- slavery, bound down with iron chains.
