Joybell, the initial inspiration for a family of songs on this theme seems to have come from a song written in 1889 by Charles D. Vann titled 'Then My Darling I'll Come Back to Thee'. Meade's earliest citation is Wehman's Collection of Songs NYC - Wehman #138 'Then My Darling I'll Come Back to Thee' July 1889.

The first commercial recording of a related piece was by Ernest V. Stoneman 'When My Wife Will Return to Me' OK 45051.

Kelly Harrell made a recording in 1927 (released 1928):

MY WIFE, SHE HAS GONE AND LEFT ME

My wife she's gone and left me
Out in this wide world alone
With happiness and gladness she left me
She left a doggone good home
I wrote her a letter last Tuesday
I sealed it with a kiss
The answer came back this morning
And what it said was this

When the groceman puts sand in the sugar
And the milkman makes milk out of chalk
When the boys stay at home with their mothers
And the girls forget how to talk
Now after the ballgame is over
And the railroad runs under the sea
When the man in the moon comes down in a balloon
My darling I'll come back to thee

I went to see her this evening
She was standing in the hall
She beat me, she banged me, she swiped me
She hit me with a mall
I asked her to go back home with me
She hit me on my head
I told her I'd do all the cooking
But this is what she said

When the groceman puts sand in the sugar
And the milkman makes milk out of chalk
When the boys stay at home with their mothers
And the girls forget how to talk
Now after the ballgame is over
And the railroad runs under the sea
When the man in the moon comes down in a balloon
My darling I'll come back to thee

Source: transcription of Kelly Harrell & Virginia String Band Vi 21520, Sept 1928, reissued on Kelly Harrell 'Complete Recorded Works Vol 2' Document DOCD-8027.

Charlie Poole followed in 1930 with a similar, but not identical, song:

MY WIFE WENT AWAY AND LEFT ME

My wife went away and she left me
Out in this wide world alone
Sadness and gladness she left me
She left a doggone good home
I wrote her a letter last Tuesday
I sealed it with a kiss
The answer came back next morning
And what she said to me was this

When the groc'ry man puts sand in the sugar
The milkman makes milk out of chalk
Boys stay home with their mothers
Women forget how to talk
When the ocean turns into corn whiskey
The railroad runs under the sea
And the man in the moon comes down in a balloon
My darling I'll come back to thee

I sat down and wrote her another
Sealed it with my fist
The answer was mailed next morning
And what I said to her was this

When the moon turns into an apple
And a rainbow turns into a vine
They build a steeple to heaven
The stars they all fail to shine
When the ocean turns into rye whiskey
Makes glasses to see the wind
When the girls quit using powder and paint
Then, darling, I'll ask you again

Source: Kinney Rorrer's transcription in 'Rambling Blues: The Life & Songs of Charlie Poole' Old Time Music Booklet 3. Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers 'My Wife Went Away and Left Me' Columbia 15584-D November 1930.

It is possible that these 'hillbilly' recordings were the inspiration for the Australian version.

I very much enjoyed Hildebrand and O'Leary's recording of 'The Push on the Corner'. When are they going to do another album?

--Stewie.