Author: Matthew Richardson
Publisher: Melbourne Univ. Publishing
ISBN: 9780522853087
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 252
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Book Description
'Banjo' Paterson's 'Waltzing Matilda' is the one song that has been bringing people together spontaneously since 1895, and the one song that belongs to all Australians.Generations of experts have argued about the original story that Paterson immortalised, about the origins of the tune, and about what Paterson meant by his almost parodic over-use of Australian colloquialisms.Once a Jolly Swagman takes readers off the score sheet into the story of the song, and tells of its evolution up until the twenty-first century. It tries to answer the riddles within the song, and unpick its inherent contradictions: where's the heroism in a suicidal thief? What was jolly about the jumbuck? Is 'Waltzing Matilda' the key to Australian values? What does it mean that a beloved song about Australia's pioneering past is written by a city lawyer?In this age of economic rationalism and a globalised world, how does a voice from the billabong saying, 'You'll come a waltzing matilda with me' still matter, and what does it tell us about ourselves?
Author: Jackie French
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
ISBN: 0730493962
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 36
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Book Description
The story behind Banjo Paterson's iconic Australian song. '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...' In 1894, twelve-year-old Matilda flees the city slums to find her unknown father and his farm. But drought grips the land, and the shearers are on strike. Her father has turned swaggie and he's wanted by the troopers. In front of his terrified daughter, he makes a stand against them, defiant to the last. 'You'll never catch me alive, said he...' Set against a backdrop of bushfire, flood, war and jubilation, this is the story of one girl's journey towards independence. It is also the story of others who had no vote and very little but their dreams. Drawing on the well-known poem by A.B. Paterson and from events rooted in actual history, this is the untold story behind Australia's early years as an emerging nation. PRAISE 'Jackie French has a passion for history, and an enviable ability to weave the fascinating minutiae of everyday life into a good story.' -- Magpies Magazine
Author: Dennis O'Keeffe
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 1742377068
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 322
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Book Description
An expose of two cover-ups: one the death of a swagman by a billabong; the other, a torrid affair between Banjo Paterson and his fiancee's best friend, and how the two events come together in Australia's best-loved national song. Australians know Waltzing Matilda, written by their most popular poet Banjo Paterson, as their most loved song and unofficial national anthem. What Australians don't know is that their song is embroiled in a web of secrecy, violence and a triangular love affair. Written at a pivotal time in Australia's history, Waltzing Matilda is as important to Australian culture as events like the Eureka Stockade and the story of Ned Kelly. One hundred and fifteen years after the writing of Waltzing Matilda, Australians continue to be fascinated with the song and sing it proudly wherever they meet to celebrate. Given the facts outlined in this story, they will be further captivated and embrace the song for decades to come.
Author: Andrew Barton Paterson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9781743832882
Category : Australian fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 32
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Book Description
This famous ballad of the outback wanderer who drowned himself rather than lose his freedom needs no introduction. There is no swagman as legendary as the tragic hero of this tale, and there is no Australian song as well-known throughout the world. Here the famous ballad is given new depth and perspective. Talented illustrator Freya Blackwood has explored the intriguing background behind the writing of this song, and has shown us not just the lively story of a proud outback larrikin, but also a glimpse into the clashes and struggles that were so formative of Australian history.
Author: Henry Lawson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Short stories, Australian
Languages : en
Pages : 196
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Book Description
Author: Michael Rosen
Publisher: Walker Illustrated Classics
ISBN: 9781406317435
Category : Children's poetry, American
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
A collection of favorite poems by such writers as William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Edward Lear, Walt Whitman, and Langston Hughes, with portraits of the poets, brief biographical background, and illustrations.
Author: Terry Pratchett
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1407035126
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 299
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Book Description
'Anything you do in the past changes the future. The tiniest little actions have huge consequences. You might tread on an ant now and it might entirely prevent someone from being born in the future.' Rincewind, inept wizard and reluctant hero, has found himself magically stranded on the Discworld's last continent. It's hot. It's dry. There was this thing once called The Wet, which no one believes in any more. Practically everything that's not poisonous is venomous. But it's the best bloody place in the world, all right? And in a few days, it will die. The only thing standing between the last continent and wind-blown doom is Rincewind, and he can't even spell wizard. Still . . . no worries, eh? 'A minor masterpiece. I laughed so much I fell from my armchair' Time Out 'A master storyteller' A. S. Byatt The Last Continent is the sixth book in the Wizards series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.
Author: Ellen van Neerven
Publisher: Univ. of Queensland Press
ISBN: 0702264598
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 233
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Book Description
This wide-ranging and captivating anthology showcases both the power of First Nations writing and the satisfaction of a good short story. Curated by award-winning author Ellen van Neerven, Flock roams the landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, bringing together voices from across the generations. Featuring established authors such as Tony Birch, Melissa Lucashenko and Tara June Winch, and rising stars such as Adam Thompson and Mykaela Saunders, Flock confirms the ongoing resonance and originality of First Nations stories.
Author: Troy Dann
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781742571751
Category : Baptism
Languages : en
Pages : 32
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Book Description
Action Dann tells his best friend Oakie about the young boy who hides in a log to avoid being christened. What happens next is hilarious!
Author: C. J. Dennis
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 120
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Book Description
Start a magical journey in these pages of 'A Book for Kids' — a delightful collection of playful verses that will ignite imaginations and captivate young readers. Let the enchanting words of C. J. Dennis transport you to a world where talking animals and fantastical adventures await at every turn. Here's an excerpt from one of the poems presented in this book, 'Growing Up', showcasing Dennis' ability to enchant the readers: "Little Tommy Tadpole began to weep and wail / For little Tommy Tadpole had lost his little tail / And his mother didn't know him as he wept upon a log / For he wasn't Tommy Tadpole, but Mr. Thomas Frog."
