Australia's best known song

[John Arton]

Bet most Aussies don't know that the first ever recording of Waltzing Matilda was made by a tenor singer who was an ex Tyneside shipyard worker. He has a place in Australia's hall of fame.
Rgds
J.A.

[Doc Vernon]

https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/track...john-collinson


Cheers

[John Arton]

And this from our end
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-45914711
Rgds
J.A.

[happy daze john in oz]

It is an odd one that.

Many say that Banjo wrote the song but there is a theory that it was a poem by a bushie who had gone walk abouts.

In 1986 in the vaults of Rochester Cathederal Kent music score was found which is believed to be the tune used by Banjo.

A similar version was played in Scotland, and it is considered that the score may have been penned as long ago as the time of Henry 8.

But of course the most famous song here in Oz. Written on the back of a serviette in a café in London ,'A pub with no beer".

[Keith at Tregenna]

Traditional Scottish Song.
- Thou Bonnie Wood of Craigielea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0AEJ1I60r0

[Keith at Tregenna]

Joseph Jenkins, Jolly Swagman

‘Waltzing Matilda’ is Australia’s best known and much loved folk song, and the first verse is as follows:

Once a jolly swagman* camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,
“You’ll come a-waltzing Matilda** with me.”

Yet possibly the most famous swagman of them all was a Welshman, Joseph Jenkins.

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryU...Jolly-Swagman/