Now -- John Lawrence Toole and Billy Barlow. Toole was a London wine merchant when the above song - "Billy Barlow in Australia" was first performed in Maitland -North of Sydney. This song was printed and sold on the streets of Sydney from 1843-1846 - printed by a Sydney newspaper. Ref. Colin Roderick as above. Toole began acting in 1850 and subsequently performed as Billy Barlow and sang his own version of a Billy Barlow song, based on Sam Cowell's song. (although he doesn't state exactly when he first did this). Toole toured in Australia only once, in 1890. Toole, like Cowell and George Coppin, sussed out any area where he was going to perform his Billy Barlow act so that he could use local references and mention local identities. I don't find it at all strange that his "Billy Barlow" song resembles "Billy Barlow in Australia" and also Cowell's song. Banjo Patterson (b 1864)of course came on the scene much later, his book published in 1905.