AustLit
Latest Issues
Contents
-
Jim Jones
Jim Jones at Botany Bayi"O listen for a moment, lads, and hear me tell my tale,",
single work
poetry
(p. 3)
Note: With title: 'Jim Jones'
- Botany Bay I Botany Bayi"Farewell to old England for ever,", single work poetry (p. 4)
- 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. 5-6)
- The Waterwitchi"In a neat little packet from Hobart set sail", single work lyric/song (p. 6-7)
- The Beautiful Land of Australia Settler's Lamenti"All you on emigration bent,", single work poetry (p. 7-9)
- The Old Bullock Drayi"Oh! the shearing is all over, and the wool is coming down,", single work poetry (p. 9-11)
- The Old Keg of Rumi"My name is old Jack Palmer, and I once dug for gold,", single work poetry (p. 12-14)
- The Old Bark Huti"Oh, my name is Bob the swagman, and I'll have you understand", single work poetry (p. 14-17)
-
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.
- Brave Donahuei"A life that is free as the bandits' of old,", single work poetry (p. 19-20)
- Look Out Below!i"A young man left his native shores,", single work poetry (p. 20-21)
- The Broken-Down Diggeri"I've worked on the Nine-Mile, likewise on the River,", single work poetry (p. 22)
- The Golden Gullies of the Palmeri"Then roll the swag and blanket up, and let us haste away,", single work poetry (p. 22-23)
- The Broken-Down Squatteri"Come, Stumpy, old man, we must shift while we can;", single work poetry (p. 23-24)
-
The Eumeralla Shorei"There's a happy little valley on the Eumeralla shore,",
single work
poetry
(p. 24-26)
Note: With title: The Numerella Shore
- Cockies of Bungareei"Come all you jolly travellers that's out of work, just mind", single work poetry (p. 26-27)
- The Overlanderi"There's a trade you all know well -", single work poetry (p. 27-29)
-
Down Where the Coolibahs Growi"A strapping young stockman lay dying,",
single work
poetry
(p. 29-30)
Note: With title: The Dying Stockman
- Bullocky Billi"As I came down Talbingo Hill", single work poetry humour (p. 30)
-
Click Go the Shears : An Australian Balladi"Out on the board the old shearer stands",
single work
poetry
(p. 31-32)
Note: With title: Click Go the Shears, Boys
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
Beginnings...
1988
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Antipodes , Winter vol. 2 no. 2 1988; (p. 117-118) -
[Review] Modern Australian Verse
1967
single work
review
— Appears in: Poetry , vol. 110 no. 1967; (p. 49-51)
— Review of Modern Australian Verse 1964 anthology poetry ; From the Ballads to Brennan 1964 anthology poetry -
[Review] Modern Australian Verse
Poetry in Australia
1966
single work
review
criticism
— Appears in: The Hudson Review , Spring vol. 19 no. 1 1966; (p. 161-166) A Call to Order : essays and reviews, 1954-1974 1976; (p. 50-54)
— Review of Modern Australian Verse 1964 anthology poetry ; From the Ballads to Brennan 1964 anthology poetry -
Out of the Oldest Continent
1965
single work
review
— Appears in: Kenyon Review , vol. 27 no. 1965; (p. 547-554)
— Review of From the Ballads to Brennan 1964 anthology poetry -
Stars and Stripes for Our Poets
1965
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 13 November 1965; (p. 20)
— Review of Modern Australian Verse 1964 anthology poetry ; From the Ballads to Brennan 1964 anthology poetry
-
Two for the Seesaw
1964
single work
review
— Appears in: Prospect , vol. 7 no. 2 1964; (p. 27-28)
— Review of In Light and Darkness 1963 selected work poetry ; Poems [Volume 1] 1963 selected work poetry ; From the Ballads to Brennan 1964 anthology poetry ; Modern Australian Verse 1964 anthology poetry -
Cooee
1965
single work
review
— Appears in: Westerly , August no. 2 1965; (p. 45-49)
— Review of Captain Quiros : A Poem 1964 single work poetry ; From the Ballads to Brennan 1964 anthology poetry ; Modern Australian Verse 1964 anthology poetry -
Poetry and Landscape
1965
single work
review
— Appears in: The Times Literary Supplement , 16 September 1965; (p. 802)
— Review of Australian Poetry 1964 1964 anthology poetry ; From the Ballads to Brennan 1964 anthology poetry -
Two Poetry Anthologies
1964
single work
review
— Appears in: Meanjin Quarterly , September vol. 23 no. 3 1964; (p. 327-329)
— Review of Modern Australian Verse 1964 anthology poetry ; From the Ballads to Brennan 1964 anthology poetry -
Poetry in Australia
1964
single work
review
— Appears in: Southerly , vol. 24 no. 4 1964; (p. 242-244)
— Review of Modern Australian Verse 1964 anthology poetry ; From the Ballads to Brennan 1964 anthology poetry -
Beginnings...
1988
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Antipodes , Winter vol. 2 no. 2 1988; (p. 117-118)