G'day all,

I'll use this thread (rather than Helen's older one from 1998) to comment that the Australian/American sharing extends to what is probably our second best known song Click go the Shears, since this is also directly based on another of Henry Clay Work's songs Ring the Bell Watchman, written to celebrate the ringing of the bells to announce the end of the American Civil War.

Many Americans came to Australia in the Gold Rush era (including Minstrel bands, gaining gold with much less sweat) and their music became well known. Intriguingly, we have our own version of The Gum Tree Canoe which any Australian automatically presumes refers to a canoe made of a eucalyptus tree. In fact, it originally described one made from the Mississipi River Gum - but it naturalised very comfortably here!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Regards,

Bob Bolton