G'day Mr Red,

The Queensland version of Waltzing Matilda - also sometimes called the Buderim version ... (from the small town in Queensland whence it was collected), is probably a separate and independent setting of a tune to Paterson's published words ... the exact text of the poem, not the simpified text used in the Inglis Bros / "Billy Tea" promotional version arranged by Marie Cowan in 1905.

Christina also definitely set Paterson's exact words - against her remembered version of thou Bonnie Wood o' Craigielea ... I examined facsimiles of several holograph copies ... clearly in her hand and clearly set to the music which was later trimmed down to the popular version.

I can't see any "salacious" meanings to the lyrics ... his pitch for Christina was far more subtle than that ... but his engagement to Sarah Riley ceased after that visit ... and the MacPherson girls remembered him as: "... a bit of a cad ...". I presume that was because of his dumping Sarah for her schoolchum Christina ... whilst staying at Christina's brother's home, 'Dagworth" sheep station (also in Queensland, by the way!)

"GUEST,NH Dave" The so-called Rochester recruiting song was a parody on the well-known (Marie Cowan" setting, not the "Queensland" one, which was only collected in the early 1950s. Although Pete Coe cobbled up the main body of that parody in the early 1970s, he was basing it on a first verse and chorus that had turned up in field collecting in Australia. This is the part which i believe was a (self defence ...?) parody by British troops, probably in WW I ... or, perhaps the Boer War ... getting heartily sick and tired of Aussies interminably singing their new favourite song!

Regards,

Bob Bolton



Regards,

Bob Bolton