AustLit
Adaptation of
The Union Buries Its Dead
1893
single work
short story
Issue Details:
First known date:
1956...
1956
Joe Wilson's Mates
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
Based on Henry Lawson's poem 'The Union Buries its Dead,' Joe Wilson's Mates is set in a small country town during the 1890s. Joe Wilson is a stranger in town, with no known family or friends. When he dies, he is found to be carrying a union card, so the local members decide to honour one of their own with a decent funeral. The narrative sees the sweating union men making frequent stops on their way to the graveyard to rest, drink beer, and bicker.
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Last amended 11 Dec 2014 10:27:26