Banjo Patterson in National Geographic

Subject: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: GUEST,Lyle
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 08:55 PM

I hope this hasen't been discussed before, but I can't find it in a search, and it would have to be fairly recent.

The latest issue of National Geographic (August 2004 US edition) has a nice article on the life of Banjo Patterson. From what I know about him, which is not extensive, it appears to be well done.

I'm wondering if others more knowledgable than I have any comments. I would especially like to hear from anyone in Australia.

Lyle

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 08:56 PM

From what I know it seems a nice rendering.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 06:01 PM

There's online stuff related to the article at the magazine site, here, at least for a while.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: GUEST,Lyle
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 09:01 PM

Thanks, folks! Appreciate it...

Lyle

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 12:01 AM

G'day Lyle,

I've not seen the article ... it's probably still on a slow boat to the Antipodes! However, the little tale of the genesis of Clancy of the Overflow is amusing - and probably has as much basis in fact as any of Banjo's stories. Paterson had a good ear for a poem or story that would go down well - and provides a good balance to Henry Lawson's view from the workers' quarters. His rollicking, horsey ballads remain the most widely popular of Australian poems.

I'll be interested to read the full yarn ... when it gets here.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: GUEST,Lyle
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 08:38 PM

Thanks, Bob - and I'll be waiting to hear your reaction!

Lyle

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Gypsy
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 12:22 AM

Oh man, that was a GREAT article! All these years i thought i knew about Waltzing Matilda.......

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 11:55 PM

G'day Lyle,

I bought the issue last night and read a bit of it on the 'bus this morning. The general article is surprisingly good ... National Geographic work the geography and characters aspect well. I didn't get as far as the Waltzing Matilda coverage, but had a skim throught that after eating my lunch.

I think they have covered the 1895 composition of the poem, Paterson's apparent bust-up with his erstwhile fiancée and his subsequent reluctance to discuss the matter pretty well ... and kept it to a short item within the overview of Paterson's "Man From Snowy River" country, times and characters.

If you do read what they have to say about the murky side of the song's history ... and then follow up any of my answers to the strange sorts of Mudcat threads that Waltzing Matilda seems to inspire, I don't think you'll find much divergence. The NG have done their homework ... and rejected most of the looney fringe theories ... and presented the story in context ... and taste!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 01:10 AM

I hadn't known much about Banjo Paterson, the man, and I really enjoyed the article, including the pictures. The National Geographic does a nice job on its longer articles, such as this one.

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 06:14 AM

G'day again, Lyle et al,

I probably should say that, on a more careful reading, while I think the shenanigans detailed in the Winton Station / Christina M part of the article are pretty likely accurate ... I think the article presents them as attested fact, while they are only (well-reasoned) conjecture.

What do the Italians say ... ? "Non provata ma ben conata" (OK, I can't speak a word of Italian, but it sounds something like that and means: "It is well-known - if not proved".

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: GUEST,Walter, Australia
Date: 07 Sep 04 - 08:22 AM

I am sure that the words of Waltzing Matilda reproduced in the National Geographic are not correct, but at present cannot find an original copy to check it.
eg.
"camped in the Billabong" - Billabong is a waterhole. one camps BY it.
"Down came Policemen" - they were called TROOPERS in those days.
There are others.

Walter

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 07 Sep 04 - 06:43 PM

Here is a more permanent site for Banjo Paterson. I have always enjoyed his poetry.

Banjo Paterson

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 01:58 AM

Walter, those are logical niceties, but the NG has his words as published, as far as I can see: in John Manifold's Penguin Australian Song Book, the "Marie Cowan" version makes your corrections, but Manifold notes the words are "considerable altered from A. B. Paterson", and the tune is different, too -- it's the one in modern currency.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: GUEST,Walter
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 02:32 AM

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: GUEST,Walter, Australia
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 02:38 AM

Thank you Becky.
It is logical that words for a such a song can get corrupted over the years and who knows where the original ones are.
In Australia 'Waltzing Matilda' is the only song (including the official national anthem)the words of which are widely known to the general public.

Walter

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 03:01 AM

Bob, good to get your take on this. I look forward to getting it and giving it a good read. Thanks, Lyle, for the thread.

kat

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 09:50 AM

Walter - who says Australians know the words of our national anthem? You just need to listen to a crowd singing it!! Most people know the first verse only.

But we all know every single word of Waltzing Matilda.

Last night I posted a reply about the real words (policemen???? fancy anyone camping in a billabong) but it disappeared in a Mudcat mini-crash or hiccup and I couldn't get back in.

sandra

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 10:19 AM

G'day Walter,

The words in the NG article are Paterson's original words.

...and who knows where the original ones are."

I do ... I've examined facsimiles of two different holograph copies, written out by Christina MacPherson and given to friends in 1895. They confirm Paterson's original text ... later published as a poem ... was unaltered. Marie Cowan's simplification of the Craigielea tune was accompanied by a glossing over and 'logocalisation' of Paterson's idiosyncratic original words.

One meaning of billabong is a bend in a river (partiularly, a dried up ananbranch) so "in" is not impossible ... in fact the floor of a dried up billabong is far more comfortable than the bank ... as long as the occasional flood (happens every few years ... ?) doesn't occur while you're sleeping there!

Paterson probably had other good reasons for "Policemen". It may be that he was making sure Bob MacPherson knew he had been looking hard at the circumstances of the alleged suicide of "Dutchy" Hoffmeister (who had set fire to the Dagworth Station Woolshed, during the Shearers' Strike) ... found by all three three policemen from Winton ... and investigated by MacPherson , as local coroner.

Regards,

Regards

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Hrothgar
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 06:03 AM

Sandra, are you putting any big bets on the number of people who know all the words of Waltzing Matilda?

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 09:31 AM

Hrothgar, I don't gamble, or "game" as the modern jargon has it. I'm a great disappointment to my collegue Sue, who is always creating Team Building Exercises when Lotto is in the multi-millons & can never understand my lack of interest. But then I'm not team player, either!!

sandra

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: GUEST,Wotcha
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 03:18 PM

Even if the Australians don't know the words to their national anthem, a rather recent arrival, they certainly know their national adjective ... bastard!



Know-all-bastard

Brian

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: freda underhill
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 03:39 PM

a folkie in Sydney, Don Brian, has written a very good version of Waltzing Matilda which spells out the story of what it was all about. He has a fine voice n sings it very well too. I'll try and get the words for mudcat.

freda

Subject: RE: Banjo Patterson in National Geographic
From: GUEST,Lyle
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 04:23 PM

Thanks everyone for some excellent responses. The poems of Banjo Patterson got me interested in Australia when I was about 10 years old - and that's 60 years ago!! I've always wanted to go there, but I never wanted it to be for "just a few days." I always dreamed of spending a minimum of 4 months there, and never getting closer to the ocean than 50 miles! It is (and always has been) the interior that has facinated me. And Babjo's poems are the cause of it all. Now the chances of getting there and doing what I'd like are slim and none, so I guess I'll live in my dreams.

Thanks, Bob Bolton, for your info here and on many other threads. If I ever do get down there, I'd pay you triple your daily wages just to spend the day listening to you talk about things like Banjo, the Outback, The Overflow, folk music......

But at least I have mudcat!!

Lyle