y separately published work icon The Overlander Songbook anthology   poetry   prose  
Issue Details: First known date: 1956... 1956 The Overlander Songbook
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Contents

* Contents derived from the Adelaide, South Australia,:Rigby Publishers , 1971 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
The Iron Gang, Ronald George Edwards , single work prose (p. 1)
Van Diemen's Landi"Come all you gallant poachers that ramble free from care,", single work poetry (p. 1-2)
Note: With title: Van Diemen's Land. Includes annotations by editor.
Moreton Bayi"One Sunday morning as I went walking, by Brisbane waters I chanced to stray;", single work poetry
A poem from the perspective of an Irish convict in Moreton Bay.
 (p. 2-3)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
Jim Jones Jim Jones at Botany Bayi"O listen for a moment, lads, and hear me tell my tale,", single work poetry (p. 4)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
The Black Velvet Bandi"Her eyes they shone like the diamonds,", single work poetry (p. 7-8)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
The Exile of Erin, On the Plains of Emui"O! Farewell, my country - my kindred - my lover;", John McGarvie , single work poetry (p. 8-9)
Note: With title: The Exile of Erin. First line: 'O, farewell my country, my kindred, my lover,'. Includes annotations by editor.
Botany Bay I Botany Bayi"Farewell to old England for ever,", single work poetry (p. 10-11)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
Botany Bay IIi"Come all you men of learning,", single work poetry (p. 12-13)
Note: With title: Botany Bay 2. First line: 'Come all young men of learning, a warning take by me,'. Includes annotations by editor.
Botany Bay, a New Songi"Let us drink a good health to our schemers above,", single work poetry (p. 13-14)
Note: With title: Botany Bay 3. Includes annotations by editor.
Botany Bay 4i"I'm leaving the shores of old England,", single work poetry (p. 15)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
The Ballad of 'The Catalpa'i"A noble whale-ship and commander", single work poetry (p. 16-17)
Note: With title: The Catalpa. First line: 'She was a Yankee whaleship,'. Includes annotations by editor.
"There was a valiant highwayman of courage and renown" Bold Jack Donahoei"'Twas of a valiant highwayman and outlaw of disdain", single work poetry (p. 18-19)
The Wild Colonial Boyi"'Tis of a wild Colonial boy, Jack Doolan was his name", single work poetry

'The Wild Colonial Boy' is a traditional Irish/Australian ballad of which there are many different versions. It has been argued that the original version was really about Jack Donahoe (variously spelled Donahoo or Donahue), an Irish transport who arrived at Sydney Cove in 1825, and was subsequently convicted of highway robbery and sentenced to death. He escaped and waged a guerrilla war against the wealthy for more than two years in the country around Sydney. On September 1st 1830 he was ambushed by a police party near Cambelltown and shot dead, his companions Webber and Warmsley escaping into the bush. This version was eventually outlawed as seditious so the name of the protagonist changed.

The resulting Irish version is about a young emigrant, named Jack Duggan, who left the town of Castlemaine, County Kerry, Ireland, for Australia in the 1800s. According to the song (and in keeping with the true story of Jack Donahoe), he spent his time there 'robbing from the rich to feed the poor'. In the song, the protagonist is fatally wounded in an ambush when his heart is pierced by the bullet of Fitzroy.

The Australian version has Jack Doolan (or sometimes Jack Dowling) as the protagonist, and here Castlemaine refers to the Australian town in Victoria. In both versions variation in the wording and language occurs across different sources.

In his Old Bush Songs, Banjo Patterson wrote: "it will be noticed that the same chorus is sung to both 'The Wild Colonial Boy' and 'Bold Jack Donahoo'. Several versions of both songs were sent in, but the same chorus was always made to do duty for both songs." This chorus, included in some (not all) Australian versions is as follows:


Come, all my hearties,

we'll roam the mountains high,

Together we will plunder,

together we will die.

We'll wander over valleys,

and gallop over plains,

And we'll scorn to live in

slavery, bound down with iron chains.

 (p. 20-1)
Note: Includes annotations by editor. With title: Wild Colonial Boy 1. First line: 'There was a wild colonial, Jack Doolan was his name,'.
The Wild Colonial Boy 2i"There was a wild colonial boy, Tom Dowling was his name,", single work poetry (p. 21)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
The Wild Colonial Boy 3i"There was a wild colonial boy, Jack Duggan was his name,", single work poetry (p. 22-3)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
The Wild Colonial Boy 4i"'Tis of a wild colonial boy, Jim Doolin was his name,", single work poetry (p. 23-4)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
The Wild Colonial Boy 6i"There was a wild colonial boy, John Doolin was his name", single work poetry (p. 25)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
John Gilbert was a Bushrangeri"John Gilbert was a bushranger", single work poetry (p. 26-7)
Note: With title: John Gilbert. Includes annotations by editor.
Frank Gardineri"Oh Frank Gardiner is caught at last and lies in Sydney jail,", single work poetry (p. 27-8)
Note: First line: 'Oh, Frank Gardiner he is caught at last he lies in Sydney jail,'. Includes annotations by editor.
Bushranger Jack Poweri"On the eighth day of August in the year sixty-nine", single work poetry (p. 29-30)
Note: Includes annotations by editor.
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