Australian literature -Bush PoetryWaltzing Matilda (original manuscript 1895)

Australian literature -Bush Poetry

Waltzing Matilda (original manuscript 1895)

Australian Bush Poetry, Verse, bush ballad, or bush song is defined by the Australian Bush Poets Association as “poetry having good rhyme and meter, written about Australia, Australians and the Australian way of life.” 

Australian Bush Verse are the most famous of Australian literature. It has been written since settlement of Australia. The words used are colourful, colloquial and Australian.

They tell stories of action and adventure about wanderings, bushranging, droving, droughts,floods, war stories, class conflicts between the landless working class and landowners,life on the frontier, and relations between indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Waltzing Matilda is certainly Australia's most popular folk song and bush ballad. Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, journalist, author and bush poet, wrote the lyrics in 1895 and the music was composed by Christina Macpherson The ballad is composed of 32 lines in 8 verses. It uses an ABCB rhyming scheme with a ‘back and forth’ dialogue and a refrain to generate a melody that helps you remember the words of the song easily.

The entire history of Australian recorded music can be traced through versions of 'Waltzing Matilda'. . It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem" .And April 6 is known as Waltzing Matilda Day in Australia.

The ballad uses many uniquely Australian words referred to as Strine (Australian slang). Here is the explanation of some words: 

Jolly – means happy (Not in common usage today).

Swagman – a hobo, an itinerant worker, who travelled from place to place in search of work. 

A swagman was usually extremely poor and carried all his belongings wrapped up in a blanket slung over his shoulder called a swag.

Billabong – a waterhole or pond. It is an aboriginal word meaning little or no water.

Coolibah Tree – a eucalyptus tree that usually grows near water. 

Billy – a tin can with a wire handle used to boil water.

Jumbuck – a sheep.

Waltz – from German origin, means to travel from place to place. 

Matilda –to carry one's belongings in a blanket slung over his shoulder.

Tucker Bag – a bag for storing food (tucker). It was usually an old sugar or flour sack.

Squatter – a wealthy landowner, a rancher.

Thoroughbred – An expensive pedigreed horse.

Waltzing the matilda' means to walk from place to place searching for work with all your belongings slung across your back.

This bush poetry tells the story of a starving itinerant worker (swagman) is resting under a shady eucalyptus tree (coolibah) by the banks of a watering-hole (billabong). He has lit a fire and is making himself some tea in a tin can (billy) that he is using as a kettle. While waiting for his tea to boil, he is singing a phrase that asks, " who will keep me company—who will be my friend, as I walk from place to place?

While resting and singing his little tune, the swagman notices a sheep (jumbuck) wandering down to the watering-hole for a drink. 

The swagman is starving. He hasn't eaten in days. So he catches the sheep, kills it, eats what he can, and stows the rest in his backpack (tucker bag).

Unfortunately for the swagman, the wealthy landowner comes to the water-hole. He is mounted on his expensive horse (thoroughbred) and accompanied by three policemen (troopers). They catch the swagman red-handed with the remains of the sheep in his backpack and try to arrest him for killing the sheep.

Preferring to put his life at stake, rather than to be imprisoned for his crime, the swagman jumps into a water-hole and tries to escape. But regrettably, he drowns and dies instead and his spirit can still be heard around that area.

Paula B.