G'day Charley, The tale of the "Great Right Shift" origins are interesting. I don't really know anybody, still around, who could appropriately comment on the account I had from Chris Kempster. Political leanings were worn quite openly in those days ... but I always viewed Chris as a fairly balanced moderate ... strong values for a peoples' muusic ... but less concerned with doctinaire politics. I will try to sound out a few of the old hands ... but it's all water under the bridge ... down the harbour ... through the heads ... and a couple of turns round the circumpolar current - by now! I will be posting the straight Henry Lawson version his poem (and the variously modified song, therefrom) ... about "Texas Jack" ... who, I was told some decades back, had put on his Sydney performances in an "indoor circus area" created by de-pannelling a removeable part of the second floor level of the Marcus Clark (retail shop) Building in Railway Square, near Sydney's Central Railway Station. Seven or eight decades later, I arranged use of the Marcus Clark Staff Room ... 5 floors further up - a small room 'snuggled in the middle of the roof area' of the Marcus Clark Building ... for the Bush Music Club's Tuesday Night song-session / Club meeting. I would have loved to know then of the connection to Henry Lawson;s poem ... and "Texas Jack"! Regards, Bob
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