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y separately published work icon The Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry anthology   poetry  
Issue Details: First known date: 2009... 2009 The Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry
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Contents

* Contents derived from the Camberwell, Camberwell - Kew area, Melbourne - Inner South, Melbourne, Victoria,:Penguin , 2009 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
Farewell to Tasmaniai"Farewell Tasmania's isle! I bid adieu", Francis MacNamara , single work poetry (p. 51)
A Flight of Wild Ducksi"Far up the River - hark! 'tis the loud shock", Charles Harpur , single work poetry (p. 51-53)
A Mid-Summer Noon in the Australian Foresti"Not a bird disturbs the air,", Charles Harpur , single work poetry (p. 53-54)
On the Suicide of a Young Ladyi"No priestly requiem is heard,", Caroline Carleton , single work poetry (p. 54-55)
The Prisoners' Hospital, Van Diemen's Landi"O PRISON-HOUSE of sighing!", Caroline W. Leakey , single work poetry (p. 55-57)
The Wild Colonial Boyi"'Tis of a wild Colonial boy, Jack Doolan was his name", single work poetry

'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.

 (p. 57-58)
Note: First line : There was a wild colonial boy, Jack Donahoe by name,
On Receiving from England a Bunch of Dried Wild Flowersi"Pale Ghosts! of fragrant things that grew among", Elizabeth Deborah Brockman , single work poetry (p. 58-59)
Odorous Melbournei"Odorous Melbourne, city of stinks!", J. Brenchley , single work poetry (p. 59-60)
The Sick Stock-Rider The Sick Stockrideri"Hold hard, Ned! lift me down once more, and lay me in the shade,", Adam Lindsay Gordon , single work poetry (p. 60-63)
Life's a Cigari"'Life's a cigar': the wasting body glows;", George Gordon McCrae , single work poetry (p. 64)
Aboriginal Death-Songi"Feet of the flying, and fierce", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 64-65)
Bell-Birdsi"By channels of coolness the echoes are calling,", Henry Kendall , single work poetry (p. 65-67)
An Old Dolli"Low on her little stool she sits", Ada Cambridge , single work poetry (p. 67-70)
Fashioni"See those resplendent creatures, as they glide", Ada Cambridge , single work poetry satire (p. 70)
Album Verses In a Lady's Albumi"What can I write in thee, O dainty book,", Marcus Clarke , single work poetry (p. 70-71)
Where the Pelican Builds Her Nest Where the Pelican Buildsi"The horses were ready, the rails were down,", Mary Hannay Foott , single work poetry (p. 72)
Botany Bay I Botany Bayi"Farewell to old England for ever,", single work poetry (p. 73-74)
A Child's Questioni"O, why do you weep mother, why do you weep", Louisa Lawson , single work poetry (p. 74)
A Mother's Answeri"You ask me, dear child, why thus sadly I weep", Louisa Lawson , single work poetry (p. 74-75)
Under the Wattlei"'Why should not wattle do", Douglas Sladen , single work poetry (p. 75)
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