Still trying to find out where the poem was first published, and if it occurs in the volume of his collected poems ("Voices From The Crowd"). There are several websites without documentation, like the one posted by George Seto.
Was the "original" MacKay poem ever set to music?

What was the first shanty "revision" set to the tune now generally used? -The tune is at the Contemplator. Rolling Home to dear old

The Contemplator has an error in one of the verses (correct in one of the "Australian" versions above) of the England to New England version that they print:

See your sheets and "crew" lines free, sir,- should be clew lines.