Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan

Subject: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Marcus Campus Bellorum
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 12:28 AM

Hi all,

Does anyone know of any Aussie tunes from Tumbarumba in the South West Slopes of NSW.

Apparently the town also had a brush with infamy with a bushranger called "Mad Dog" Morgan.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Anyone have any words/tunes from:

Lennie Cook Charlie Foster Charlie Burgess Wally Wilesmith

These are a few musical locals from times gone by.

Thanks

Mark.

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Mark
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 12:34 AM

Here is some info on a film about Mad Dog. Sounds Interesting.

Dennis Hopper plays Morgan - an outlaw who is wanted at any price, dead or alive. This movie has such maniacal intensity that it will keep you on the edge of your seat during this action-packed thriller.

Dennis Hopper portrays the title character in this adventure from down under. Young Daniel Morgan slaves away his life as an Australian gold miner. He has an early education in haves and have-nots after he witnesses a gang of racist thugs burn down the Chinese camp near his workplace. Later, Morgan is imprisoned and beaten. He leaves jail only to follow his true vocation as a plains robber and, eventually, receives the nickname "Mad Dog" for his eccentric ways. His dubious celebrity shows signs of fading, though, when a weathered investigator and a mob pick up his crime-ridden trail.

Based on the book "Morgan the Bold Bushranger" by Margaret Carnegie. A B. E. F. release of a Motion Picture Company production. Filmed in Panavision. Shot in Australia.

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 12:56 AM

Here is a great website which includes Morgan.

Interesting character.

Similar life story to a lot of Bushrangers.

Apparently he demanded breakfast at Peechalba (my spelling) where Christina McPherson (co author Waltzing Matilda) was a baby crying in the next room (her crying was instrumental in Morgans capture).

No tunes so far but there must be something out there. . .

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Marco
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 01:03 AM

Another interesting snippet along the way to finding songs about "Mad Dog".

Folk history continues in Morgan's favour. John Meredith O.A.M. spent a fair time with the German settlers around Holbrook, Culcairn etc, and he informed me in 1987 that "the old people still cry when they talk about Morgan, you would think he only died yesteday."

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Mark
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 01:08 AM

Woops: here's the website.

http://www.whiskershill.dynamite.com.au/m.htm

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 01:55 AM

G'day Mark,

John Meredith found the mountain districts very good for collecting on his second stint, during the 1980s ... had a lot to do with the lousy reception for radio and television ... plus the stronger sense of community when it is not easy to drive off for hundreds of kilometres.

In his book Folksongs of Australia and the men and women who sang them, volume 2, NSW University Press, 1987, he has a good coverage of the Tumbarumba district. He collected a song about the bushranger fred Lowry from Thelma Cook of Tuena - possibly related to Lennie Cook.

He has one collected tune from Charlie Foster and six from his brother Arthur. He also has three tunes from Charlie Burgess. He has five songs from Wally Wilesmith. (Several of these items are firmly ensconced in Backblocks Musicians repertoire.

(Didn't I sell you a copy of this, when Tursacan bought that pile of books?)

BTW:, On my way back from Melbourne a few years back, I stopped in at Mallacoota, just on the Victorian side of the border with NSW to see Doug and Maggie, two lovely old Scottish concertina players. While at their place, I met the author of the poem Tumba - bloody - rumba! ("... I've been down Tumba-bloody-rumba, shooting kanga-bloody-roos ...").

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Marcus Campus Bellorum
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 08:21 PM

Hi Bob and lurkers,

Mark here. . .

Yep. Tursacan does have a copy of Folksongs of Australia and the men and women who sang them, volume 2, NSW University Press, 1987,. And I should have looked before I lept. Nonetheless, an interesting thread (for some).

I am interested in the the song about the bushranger fred Lowry Thelma Cook of Tuena - possibly related to Lennie Cook. My great grandfather was married at Binda (just down the road). And my great grandmother came from Trunkey Creek (just up the road).

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Mark
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 08:24 PM

Tumba Bloody Rumba is in the database here at Mudcat.

Just do a search for Tumbarumba.

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 16 Jan 01 - 10:02 PM

G'day again Mark,

The song Death O Fred Lowry is in Folksongs of Australia and the men and women who sang them, vol. 2, on pp 58-60. Oddly, it is under the informant's name of Morton Gibbons, even though it is actually Thelma Cook's words and Kevin Hotham's tune! You'll just have to read the notes to work out why. Meredith tracked the song down in several stages, back to a version I had in the Bush Music Club Archives, in an early newsletter.

I shall post the words and music to a LYR ADD thread for anyone else interested - in a while - since my home computer is currently back in the computer shop while they work out some problems from the last upgrade. (Back soon ... PLEEEASE ... !

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Marcus
Date: 22 Jan 01 - 10:46 PM

Sorry for the delay Bob.

Similar hassles for me too.

Yep, I had a look in Folksongs of Australia and the men and women who sang them, vol. 2 and found stacks of stuff.

Only thing is that we, the band, Tursacan, have been focusing on our existing repertoire (including all the tunes that we have source/built up from Mudcat and people like yourself Bob.

Tumbafest comes up at the end of February. Should be fun.

If anyone is interested they should contact the Tumbarumba Shire Council for more information.

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Roo
Date: 22 Jan 01 - 11:31 PM

Smoky Dawson has written some lovely songs about the district... he lived there long ago ....in particular, Old Khancoban which mentions a dance at Tumbarumba cheers, Valda

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Roo
Date: 22 Jan 01 - 11:34 PM

more specifically, the song is called The Days Of Old Khancoban . sorry :)

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 23 Jan 01 - 09:42 PM

Errr... G'day again Mark,

I WILL get the Fred Lowry song up in a posting some time soon. The Computer shop insisted they knew a better way to set my computer up ... and dropped the bundle totally. I need time to get it set up right again! As well, the February issue of Mulga Wire loomed (goes to bed today).

Back to the real world(??).

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Mark
Date: 24 Jan 01 - 01:02 AM

Thanks Bob.

Good luck with the IT rejig.

And Roo, I had not thought about Smokey. Old Khankoban, as I remember, is a damn good song. Who knows what a Tursacan adaptation will do to it???

Anyone know where the name "Khankoban" comes from???

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 24 Jan 01 - 02:50 AM

G'day again Mark,

I lived at Khancoban in 1967, while working on the Snowy Mts Hydro scheme. Afraid there was no trace of the earlier days by then. Khancoban was the name of the property, but I don't know its source. I should have a source book on Australian names ... somewhere on the four shelves of dictionaries!

Unfortunately, it is a small book - may not have Khancoban - and I have disagreed with several of the background stories that I have read in it!

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Roo
Date: 24 Jan 01 - 04:08 AM

Look what I found for sale, Bob! Khancoban Station
I want it!!

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Roo
Date: 24 Jan 01 - 04:17 AM

My bet the town was named after the property. The area had been first settled in the 1830s when it was known as Swampy Plains. From that time until the arrival of the road it was a lonely and isolated settlement which virtually unknown.

The road, known as the Alpine Way from Jindabyne to Khancoban, was constructed in 1956 as a direct result of the needs of the Snowy Mountain Authority. Prior to that there had been a track which had been built in the early 1930s and supposedly followed the route the Aborigines took when making their annual pilgrimage to the bogong moth country. Unfortunately the track was so steep (it rose 1800 metres in every 10 kilometres) that even cattle had difficulty using it. (info from the Walkabout site)

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Mark
Date: 26 May 02 - 10:58 PM

I hear that "Tumba Bloody Rumba" is based on the tune "Jack of all Trades".

Does anyone know of the history of "jack of all Trades", the words, and the tune?

Warren Fahey are you out there? I hear you are the one who brought the tune for Jack of all Trades and the Words for Tumbabloodyrumba together.

How far back does Jack of all Trades go?

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Percustard
Date: 16 Jun 02 - 10:41 PM

Hi all,

Who is the author of TumbaBloodyRumba? I'm confused.

Any leads on tunes about Mad Dog Morgan specifically? Do they have links to any celtic gaelic songs/tunes?

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 16 Jun 02 - 11:26 PM

G'day Percustard,

The notes in the DT give the author as John Wolfe. He is, presumably, the bloke who called in on Doug & Maggie (mentioned 14 posts above) when Patricia and I were coming back from Melbourne to Sydney via the east coast road, instead of the usual inland (Hume) highway. I seem to remember that he was a Forestry officer ... probably retired, by now.

The tune used by The Larrikins/Warren Fahey is a British traditional tune Jack of all trades ... certainly well known in Ireland and Scotland ... and given a a new life in a Ewan MacColl rewrite (for the Radio Ballad The Travelling People?).

I don't think Mad Dog Morgan had enough friends to inspire any goo folk songs about him! (But I would welcome evidence to the contrary.)

I think there is a 'Banjo' Paterson poem about the shooting of Morgan ... I'm beginning to see this as part of a sniping campaign on Paterson's part against the McPherson family (I understand that it occurred on a McPherson property) that followed the McPherson family "cutting him dead" after some shenanigans at "Dagworth" Station in 1895 ... all connected with the history of the writing of Waltzing Matilda - and Paterson's chequered love life!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: rich-joy
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 02:13 AM

Choons from T.??
How about "Stomp! The Tumbarumba!"?! (Sorry, that was a bleed-through from my surf-crazy teenage times ...)

Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: allanwill
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 12:46 PM

Morgan was a rather nasty little character but it is my understanding he was never referred to as "Mad Dog". This was just a term created for the movie. He was, however, known at the time as Mad "Dan".

Allan

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Hrothgar
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 02:43 AM

I've always thought of him as "Mad Dog" even before the movie came around.

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Percustard
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 09:21 PM

Seems Morgan had his supporters and detractors.

From above:

Folk history continues in Morgan's favour. John Meredith O.A.M. spent a fair time with the German settlers around Holbrook, Culcairn etc, and he informed me in 1987 that "the old people still cry when they talk about Morgan, you would think he only died yesteday."

I reckon that'd be grounds for song or two!

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 02:07 AM

G'day alaninact,

It's very infectious ... I had clearly intended to type in "Mad Dan Morgan" ... and still slipped into the later error!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba Aust and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Percustard
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 12:27 AM

Here's one.

Dont suppose anyone knows the tune to this?

--------------------------

http://dreamsis29.tripod.com/index.htm

THE DEATH OF MORGAN

(anonymous)

Throughout Australian history no tongue or pen can tell

Of such preconcerted treachery - there is no parallel -

As the tragic deed of Morgan's death; without warning he was shot,

On Peechelba station, it will never be forgot.

I have oft-times heard of murders in Australia's golden land,

But such an open daylight scene of thirty in a band,

Assembled at the dawn of day, and then to seperate,

Behind the trees, some on their knees, awaiting Morgan's fate.

Too busy was the servant-maid; she trotted half the night

From McPherson's down to Rutherford's the tidings to recite.

A messenger was sent away who for his neck had no regard,

He returned with a troop of traps in hopes of their reward.

But they were all diappointed; McQuinlan was the man

Who fired from his rifle and shot rebellious Dan.

Concealed he stood behind a tree till his victim came in view,

And as Morgan passed his doom was cast - the unhappy man he slew.

There was a rush for trophies, soon as the man was dead;

They cut off his beard, his ears, and the hair from off his head.

In truth it was a hideous sight as he struggled on the ground;

They tore the clothes from off his back and exposed the fatal wound.

Oh, Morgan was the travellers' friend; the squatters all rejoice

That the outlaw's life is at an end, no more they'll hear his voice.

Success attend all highwaymen who do the poor some good;

But my curse attend the treacherous man who'd shed another's blood.

Farewell to Burke, O'Meally, Young Gilbert and Ben Hall,

Likewise to Daniel Morgan, who fell by rifle-ball;

So all young men be warned and never take up arms,

Remember this, how true it is, bushranging hath no charms!

Daniel Morgan 1830 - 1865

"Mad Dan Morgan "

Mad Dan terrorised the Albury district.

It is suspected he had an undiagnosed mental illness because of his big and unpredictable mood swings.

He was known to resort to impulsive cruelty and murders - hence his nickname.

Morgan tortured and murdered victims, and was known to shoot people in the back or while they were sleeping.

Towards the end of his career, he shot a chinese traveller for not understanding him, and shot a horse because it wasn't behaving.

He held up the Peechelba Station on 9th April, holding the householders hostage.

A nursemaid escaped and raised the alarm.

Police staked out the farm and

Mad Dan was shot (in the back) the next morning.

His body was put on public display in Wangaratta before being mutilated by the authorities.

His hair and beard were cut off.

The coroner skinned his face so it could be pegged out to dry by the police superintendant.

His head was cut off and sent to Melbourne for examination by the Melbourne University.

The rest of his body was buried in the Wangaratta cemetary.

There was a public outcry and Government inquiry as a result of his mutilation.

Morgan was one of the characters in the novel "Robbery Under Arms" and several poems were written about him.

In 1976 the film "Mad Dog Morgan" was made about him.

He was 35 when he died.

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 07:55 AM

Tumba-Bloody-Rumba lyrics were posted here today by a guest at the 2020 COVID-19 Mudcat Worldwide Singaround on Zoom. Gerry, introduce the song, post the lyrics here, and give us the particulars! Links to YouTube performances for the tune are also welcome.

Subject: RE: Tunes From Tumbarumba and Mad Dog Morgan
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 08:51 AM

SRS, your wish is my command.

The authorship of the lyrics is in dispute. The musical setting, as Bob Bolton wrote upthread, is the British traditional tune "Jack of All Trades". The tune and lyrics were put together by Warren Fahey (who has been known to post to Mudcat), and so far as I can tell Warren is the only person ever to record the song.

Here are the lyrics I sang for Tumba-bloody-rumba, for the Mudcat singaround.

TUMBA-BLOODY-RUMBA

He looked for work at muster-time, we tried him as a rider,
We tried him as the rouseabout and as the cook’s off-sider.
He said he'd sailed the seven seas, he’d been up in Alaska,
He’d been in every western state from Texas to Nebraska.

Chorus (repeat after each stanza):
He said he’d shorn a sheep or two and cut a bit of lumber,
And waged war on the kangaroos at Tumba-bloody-rumba.

We tried him as a shearer, we tried him as a stacker,
We tried him digging rabbits out. He wasn’t worth a cracker.
He had a shop in Singapore, he owned a pearling lugger,
He was a champ at baccarat, Australian Rules and rugger.

He never showed his aptitude at jobs he was allotted,
But showed his skill upon the booze, and cigarettes he blotted.
He said he’d climbed the Matterhorn, he’d been a union leader,
And years ago in Adelaide he was a pigeon breeder.

We tried him digging fencing posts, we tried to find his caper,
Until that happy pay-day when he got his piece of paper.
I wonder what he's up to now, perhaps back on the lumber,
Or shooting kanga-bloody-roos at Tumba-bloody-rumba.