Hi, The "God's Police" song is about the girls Caroline Chisholm coaxed to go to Australia, mainly from Ireland, and marry the wild men out there and put manners on them. The idea was that there children would be brought up as good god-fearing catholics even if these girls had little or no effect on their husbands. Around 1828, posters went up in Ireland and Britain offering free transport to Australia for those willing to become the future mothers of Australia. At that time the ratio of men to women in Australia was calculated at 50 to 1, some they needed women. From the dates given by Guest above, we may be talking about different events. A book called "Damned Whores and God's Police" by A. Summers published in Melbourne 1975 gives account of this. Caroline Chisholm herself used the term "God's POlice" to describe these girls.Copies of the book are available secondhand on the net at reasonable prices. Lyrics:God's Police Ted Egan "Female Emigration to The Great New Southern Nation" Was the message on the posters, and the passage it was free So an agonising was made by many starving families their daughters would be snt across the sea "God's Police" said Mrs Chislom, That's what their role will be We will marry them to all those lawless men God-fearing girls a plenty, we want for every Colony But they'll never, ever, see their home again Chorus; You will never, ever see your home again You will travel to Australia, to a land of lawless men The weather and the work will make you old before your time And you'll never ever see your home again Herded in like cattle as the ship ploughed to the south Seasick and depressed, confused in heart and mind They tried to keep their spirits up with prayer and speculation But they'd no idea what type of life they'd find. "Now you girls" said Mrs Chislom, "don't judge this place too fast, It's nothing like the British Isles, but then, There's a brand new life that's full of hope for everyone of you But yuo'll never, ever see your home again There was never any question that all of them would wed So they did, and they dispersed to different types of fates With their farmers and their station hands and men who dug for gold A motley crew of rough and ready mates But the clever Mrs Chisholm had surely chosen well Their presence was to stabilise the men They thrived and bore their children and came to love Australia But they never, ever saw their home again. There ya go. What are you reading?
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