ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

This is an extract from the Secret History of Australia's Favourite Song by Dennis O'keefe.
Chapter 17 - And HIs Ghost May Be Heard.
Page 260 of 294.

Paterson had mastered the Australian ballad which depended upon several elements :

excitement, preferably with a touch of the ironic or cynical; a genuine feeling for love of the land, with the inner certainty that the land healed itself and that inevitably, with patience and courage to await it,
rebirth followed after drought-death; as a corollary of this, some elements of gloom and melancholy
brought on by environment; and interwoven in all this, the dominant Australian characteristic to 'give it a go' and take a risk.

Any comments, please.
Jim.



Mulga Bill ridin’ down the hill.

Is ‘e headin’ for a fall

’e’s got the shakes
‘e’s got no brakes

‘e’s got no brakes at all.

(c) ??? ?????.

Interesting. What do you think Jim ?

I had hoped for inputs before I put in my tuppence worth.

Manfred, those few words highlight the essence of my Aussieness,
albeit born to and raised by Pommy Parents.

Born in the bush.
Formative years in the city.
Branded by mateship.

Manfred, these were THE days -

{the title came to me following a meeting with the bloke (his name escapes me now), but Hully knows him, he is now the Mayor of Bourke.}

Grip of ‘is ‘and.

He ‘ad walked a long and lonely road since troubles came ‘is way.
Through depression times, then the world war only added to ‘is dismay.

Times now long gone
were troubled times
when work was ‘ard to find,
when food was sparse,
clothes threadbare,
lack of money on ‘is mind.

Through days and nights,
through rain and snow
or desert winds that blow
lack of friendship followed ‘im
whether travelling fast or slow.
He finally found a way to get
‘ot meals, in a strangely rounded plate
where comradeship is paramount,
where everyone’s a mate.
In kakhi uniform, with big brown boots,
a rifle at the slope
a diggers ‘at with turned up side
gave everyone some ‘ope.

Times now long gone
were times of trust,
when a man’s word was true-blue
when a ‘andshake’s all that’s needed
to firm a bond ‘tween me and you.
To cement a lifelong friendship
through times both thick and thin
when no matter what the ‘ardship,
true mates would ‘elp you win.

(c). Rimeriter.
9/11/02.

Rapidly fading away, unfortunately.