John Meridith and Hugh Anderson, 1967, in "Folk Songs of Australia," say the songs date back to 1850, with a brief bit published in a Gundagai newspaper of 1854. Versions vary as to whether it is five or nine miles. There seem to be as many versions as there are reciters.

They quote a few verses as recited by J. M. Power:

Nine Miles from Gundagai

As I was walking down the road
I heard a lady say,
"Here's Joe Rule, the bullocky bloke,
He's bound for Gundagai."

Now Joe he was a manly chap,
Would share his only crust,
But a bigger bloody bastard
Never drug a whip through dust.

But Nobby fell and broke his yoke,
Poked out the leader's eye,
And the dog shit in the tuckerbox
Nine miles from Gundagai.

The shearer's cook the shovel took
The damper to unfurl,
Another sod, so help me God,
It bangs the bloody world.

The sun shone in the driver's eyes
The wheel run in a rut,
The whip flew off the handle
And his dog flew up a slut.