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THE BALLAD OF 1891 (Helen Palmer,Doreen Jacobs The price of wool was falling in 1891 The men who owned the acres saw something must be done "We will break the Shearers' Union, and show we're masters still And they'll take the terms we give them, or we'll find the ones who will" From Claremont to Barcaldine, the shearers' camps were full Ten thousand blades were ready to strip the greasy wool When through the west like thunder, rang out the Union's call "The sheds'll be shore Union or they won't be shorn at all" Oh, Billy Lane was with them, his words were like a flame The flag of blue above them, they spoke Eureka's name "Tomorrow," said the squatters, "they'll find it does not pay We're bringing up free labourers to get the clip away" "Tomorrow," said the shearers, "they may not be so keen We can mount three thousand horses, to show them what we mean" "Then we'll pack the west with troopers, from Bourke to Charters Towers You can have your fill of speeches but the final strength is ours" "Be damned to your six-shooters, your troopers and police The sheep are growing heavy, the burr is in the fleece" "Then if Nordenfeldt and Gatling won't bring you to your knees We'll find a law," the squatters said, "that's made for times like these" To trial at Rockhampton the fourteen men were brought The judge had got his orders, the squatters owned the court But for every one that's sentenced, ten thousand won't forget Where they jail someone for striking, it's a rich man's country yet Notes Many thanks to Doreen Bridges (formerly Jacobs) for permission to add this song to the collection. In 1891 the squatters (pastoralists) went on the offensive in Queens land, drawing up a proposed agreement for the 1891 shearing season that abandoned the recently won eight-hour day and did not recognise unions. The shearer's rejected this on January 6, 1891, and the first great shearers' strike began. The scale of the confrontation and the organisation of the strikers was unprecedented, perhaps taking Australia the clo sest it has been to civil war. The government organised ships and train loads of sca bs, escorted by police and heavily armed troops to get them through the pickets to t he shearing sheds. The strikers established huge bush camps. These served to house and organise the strikers throughout the campaign and were run by elected committees . The strikers' resolve was strengthened the arrest of key strike leaders, on May 1, 1 891, 1500 armed strikers marched through the town of Barcaldine. At the same time Roc khampton begins the trial of the unionists arrested at Clermont and Barcaldine and 12 wer e gaoled for conspiracy. In 1950 Helen Palmer wrote this poem which was set to music by Doreen Jacob s and was soon taken up by Australian workers facing a new spate of anti-union legisla tion form the Menzies Liberal government. The song became central to New Theatre's product ion of Dick Diamond's play "Reedy River" that opened in 1953. @Australian @labor @strike (Sung by Dave Alexander) ©1950 Doreen Bridges Music filename[ BALL1891 Feb07 |
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