Billy-

Glad to hear your comments. I've never found a trace of "The Pearl Diver" before but I wouldn't be surprised if it were indigenous to Australia or New Zealand. Dennis Puleston was an incredible source of music hall songs and bawdy songs, and quite the international sailor. You should check out a copy of his Blue Water Vagabonds on some used book website. However, Denis was orignally from England and may have picked up this song there, or somewhere else during travels in WW II; he played a key role in the design of the amphibeous DUCK and in training the crews in the war zones.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble