R-J, unfortunately I don't have Roly's song. Jeff Corfield might have it.

Jack, I posted a link to Phil Garland's musical tribute to the poetry of Joe Charles on the Australia thread [13 December 08-51]. I believe it contains the poem/song that you are looking for. The final line has 'honoured', not 'pardoned'. I didn't transcribe the piece as I had already posted a couple of McKenzie songs. However, given your difficulty with the Australia thread, I have taken the trouble to transcribe it for you. Here is the link to the audio:

Youtube clip

Here is my transcription. Corrections welcomed. I think it's fairly accurate. The only bit I am not sure of is the opening words. I put 'pull up your chair', but that may be incorrect. I don't have the album - I assumed the words are by Charles and the tune by Garland.


McKENZIE AND HIS DOG
(J. Charles/P. Garland)

Pull up your chair and pour out a beer
While I sing a song of a Scots mountaineer
They were hard times, hard times I fear
Very hard times for a Scots pioneer

His beard was so long it blew out in the breeze
And the soles of his feet were like billygoats’ knees
For he didn’t wear boots though the weather was cruel
And he lived his whole life on cold mutton and gruel

They were hard times, hard times I fear
And as hard as the times was this tough mountaineer

He caught a wild bull, it was big as a bus
And he tamed it, I’m told, without any fuss
It stood sixteen hands and its back was as wide
To carry two bales of wool and the Scotsman besides

They were hard times, hard times you’ll agree
Hard times for a Scotsman to save a bawbee

He had a sheepdog, a beaut one I’m told
Worth three times its weight in whisky and gold
He was half dingo with collie dog crossed
And he learned to find sheep that no one had lost

They were hard times, hard times you’ll agree
Very hard times for the dog, you’ll see

Now our Scottish friend was exceedingly tough
For he rode his wild bull from Fairwell to Bluff
Seeking a run with plenty of feed
But he had a plan for the sheep he would need

They were hard times, hard times indeed
But he had a plan for the sheep he would need

So pour me a beer and I’ll give you the gen
It was like taking worms from a deaf and blind hare
While Mac plied the cockies with whisky and talk
His wily wee dog took their sheep for a walk

They were hard times, hard times I fear
And Mac he did time for just half a year

But it was hard times, I’ll know you’ll agree
They named the whole plain MacKenzie Country
Yes, they named that whole country of mountain and fog
They honoured the man, but they shot his poor dog

As Phil Garland pointed out in another context, MacKenzie Country is wrongly spelled. His name was McKenzie.

--Stewie.