G'day Dani,

The song quoted by Radriano raises the question of prior versions. That version is a fairly weatherworn version of the 10,000 Miles Away that is well known in Australia as a "Convict" song (more likely, a music Hall send up of a genuine convict era song ... much like Botany Bay ... the Toora li oora li aye one). This was well enough known in the goldrush era to spawn the song 1,000 Miles Away, about the Palmer River Rush of the 1870s and a later cattle droving The Roma Railway, from around the 1890s.

The 10,000 miles reference (the approximate distance from England to Australia by sailing ship), would be lifted from the first-mentioned song, which is in DigiTrad and (according to Stan Hugill) dates from the early 1800s. He may be right, but if so, it has been 'worked over' by the music hall.

I seem to remember coming across the Capital Ship version in 'Community Song books' from the 1920s/30s era.

Regards,

Bob Bolton