Hugill's main text presentation of "South Australia," compared with LA Smith's and Colcord's.

1. South Australia is me home,
Heave away! Heave away!
South Australia is me home,
An' we're [I'm] bound for South Australia!
Heave away! Heave away!
Heave away you Rolling King [Ruler King]
An' we're [I'm] bound for South Australia!


Colcord had:
South Australia is my home,
Heave away, heave away!
South Australia is my home,
I'm bound for South Australia!
Heave away, heave away,
Heave away, you rolling king,
I'm bound for South Australia!

2. My wife is standin' on the quay,
The tears do start as she waves to me,

Colcord had:
My wife is standing on the quay;
The tears do start as she waves to me.

Smith had:
I see my wife standing on the quay,
The tears do start as she waves to me.

3. An' when I'm on a foreign shore,
I'll think o' me darlin' that I adore.

Smith had:
When I am on a foreign shore,
I'll think of the wife that I adore.

4. There ain't but one thing grieves me mind,
To leave my wife an' child behind.

Colcord had:
There ain't but the one thing grieves my mind,
To leave my wife and child behind.

Smith had:
There ain't but the one thing grieves my mind,
To leave my dear wife and child behind.

5. There ain't but one thing griev-es me
An' that's me wife an' dear ba-bee.

A Hugill original. IMO the "griev-es me" sounds a bit funky.

6. An' as I stand on a foreign shore,
I'll drink to the wife that I adore.

Smith had:
As I am standing on a foreign shore,
I'll drink to the girl that I adore.

7. Now I'm on a foreign strand,
With a glass o' pisco [samshu, sakee, vino, etc.] in me hand.

Smith had:
And now I am on a foreign strand,
With a glass of whisky in my hand;

8. I'll drink a glass to my own shore,
I'll drink to the gal that I adore.

Smith had:
And I'll drink a glass to the foreign shore,
And one to the girl that I adore.

9. I'll tell ye now, it ain't no lie,
I'll love that gal until I die

Smith had:
For I'll tell you the truth, and I'll tell you no lie,
If I don't love that girl I hope I may die.

10. This cross ye see at the bottom of the line,
Is only to keep ye in my mind.

Smith had:
Those crosses you see at the bottom of the lines,
Are only to put me in mind.

11. Now we're homeward bound again,
I'll soon he seeing Sarah Jane.

Smith had:
When I am homeward bound again,
My name I'll publish on the main.

Seeing his dislike of 'main', Hugill made up a new rhyme for this one.

12. Oh, fare-ye-well, now fare-ye-well,
Oh, fare-ye-well, I wish ye well.

Colcord had:
Now fare you well and fare you well;
Now fare you well, I wish you well.

So, one can see that Hugill's presentation comes from Smith and Colcord (also probably influenced by Smith).

It quite possible, then, that Hugill did not have his own formed idea of the song until he adopted the recorded Revival version, e.g. Lloyd and MacColl on 1960's "Blow Boys Blow."

I might add that I do love Hugill's singing of the song. And as he "lived" with it, he put on his own touches. All that I am saying here is that while his presentation may be informative for the novice, it does not provide us with any historical information.