The Old Bush Songs   By: Andrew B. Paterson (1864-1941)

THE OLD BUSH SONGS

Second Impression completing the Tenth Thousand

THE OLD BUSH SONGS

Composed and sung in the Bushranging, Digging, and Overlanding Days

EDITED BY

A. B. PATERSON AUTHOR OF “THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER,” AND “RIO GRANDE’S LAST RACE”

SYDNEY ANGUS AND ROBERTSON 89 CASTLEREAGH STREET 1906

Websdale, Shoosmith and Co., Printers, Sydney

PREFACE

The object of the present publication is to gather together all the old bush songs that are worth remembering. Apart from other considerations, there are many Australians who will be reminded by these songs of the life of the shearing sheds, the roar of the diggings townships, and the campfires of the overlanders. The diggings are all deep sinking now, the shearing is done by contract, and the cattle are sent by rail to market, while newspapers travel all over Australia; so there will be no more bush ballads composed and sung, as these were composed and sung, as records of the early days of the nation. In their very roughness, in their absolute lack of any mention of home ties or of the domestic affections, they proclaim their genuineness. They were collected from all parts of Australia, and have been patched together by the compiler to the best of his ability, with the idea of presenting the song as nearly as possible as it was sung, rather than attempting to soften any roughness or irregularity of metre. Attempts to ascertain the names of the authors have produced contradictory statements, and no doubt some of the songs were begun by one man and finished or improved by another, or several others. Some few fairly recent ballads have been included, but for the most part no attempt has been made to include any of the more ambitious literary productions of modern writers. This collection is intended to consist of the old bush songs as they were sung in the early days, and as such it is placed before the reader.

Most cordial thanks are due to those who have sent contributions, and it is hoped that others who can remember any old songs not included here will forward them for inclusion in a future edition.

CONTENTS

TWO ABORIGINAL SONGS PADDY MALONE IN AUSTRALIA THE OLD BULLOCK DRAY PADDY’S LETTER, 1857 THE OLD BARK HUT THE OLD SURVEY DWELL NOT WITH ME THE BEAUTIFUL LAND OF AUSTRALIA ON THE ROAD TO GUNDAGAI FLASH JACK FROM GUNDAGAI ANOTHER FALL OF RAIN BOLD JACK DONAHOO THE WILD COLONIAL BOY JOHN GILBERT (BUSHRANGER) IMMIGRATION THE SQUATTER’S MAN THE STRINGY BARK COCKATOO THE EUMERELLA SHORE JIMMY SAGO JACKAROO THE PLAINS OF RIVERINE THE SHEEP WASHERS’ LAMENT THE BROKEN DOWN SQUATTER THE FREE SELECTOR A NATIONAL SONG FOR AUSTRALIA FELIX SUNNY NEW SOUTH WALES BRINGING HOME THE COWS THE DYING STOCKMAN MY MATE BILL SAM HOLT THE BUSHMAN HAWKING COLONIAL EXPERIENCE THE STOCKMEN OF AUSTRALIA IT’S ONLY A WAY HE’S GOT THE LOAFER’S CLUB THE OLD KEG OF RUM THE MURRUMBIDGEE SHEARER THE SWAGMAN THE STOCKMAN THE MARANOA DROVERS RIVER BEND SONG OF THE SQUATTER WALLABI JOE THE SQUATTER OF THE OLDEN TIME THE STOCKMAN’S LAST BED MUSTERING SONG THE AUSTRALIAN STOCKMAN THE SHEPHERD THE OVERLANDER A THOUSAND MILES AWAY THE FREEHOLD ON THE PLAIN THE WALLABY BRIGADE MY RELIGION BOURKE’S DREAM BILLY BARLOW IN AUSTRALIA

INTRODUCTION