Australian Bush Poetry Trivia Quiz

Answer: Both ended up in Dead Man's Creek

Bill quickly discovered that a bicycle cannot be controlled like a horse, and had a terrifying ride down a mountain slope, before..

"...as Mulga Bill let out one last despairing shriek,
It made a leap of twenty feet into the Dead Man's Creek."

Answer: Kirk Douglas

Douglas played Harrison, "...who made his pile when Pardon won the Cup..", a crusty old horseman who tried to keep Tom Burlinson (the 'Man') from joining the chase for "... the colt from old Regret..". Clancy of the Overflow (played by rugged Aussie actor, Jack Thompson) managed to convince the others to let him ride, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Another classic piece of literature from A.B. Paterson.

Answer: "It's the day before the races out at Tangmalangaloo"

The poor padre was rather taken aback by the answer from the strapping lad from the Outback!

Hartigan was born in Yass, New South Wales in 1871, and died in 1952. His book, "Around the Boree Log, and Other Verses" is a must-have for any traditional poetry lover.

Answer: Romeo and Juliet

"Doreen an' me, we bin to see a show--
The swell two-dollar touch. Bong tong, yeh know.
A chair apiece wiv velvit on the seat;
A slap-up treat.
The drarmer's writ be Shakespeare, years ago,
About a barmy goat called Romeo"

The book "Songs of a Sentimental Bloke" portrayed the main characters as cherubs, for reasons that have eluded me since childhood. Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis was born in 1876 and died in 1938. His other major works were "The Moods of Ginger Mick" (a spinoff from the "Bloke") and "The Glugs of Gosh". A very funny man, indeed.

Answer: Cricket

McDougall was a Scotsman, who had never played cricket before, but he had a well-trained dog called Pincher. Piper's Flat was a long way behind, when our canny Scot came to bat- he hit the ball back to the bowler and took off for a suicide run. At the same time, he told the dog to 'Fetch it', and he did!

"He seized the ball like lightning; then he ran behind a log,
An M'Dougal kept on running, while Molongo chased the dog!"

Needless to say, Piper's Flat won the game, and Molongo had to pay for the post-match festivities...

Answer: Adam Lindsay Gordon

Gordon led a short and tragic life. He was born in the Azores in 1833, and committed suicide when he was only 37. At various times he was a politician in South Australia, a steeplechase jockey in Victoria, and was also known as the 'laureate of the horse'.

His works included "The Feud", "Sea Spray and Smoke Drift" and his best-known book, "Bush Ballads and Galloping Rhymes" which was released the day before he shot himself.

Answer: Frying Pan's Theology

Frying Pan had a rather unique slant on the phenomenon of snow.

"Shake 'im big flour bag
Up in the sky!"

Thunder is created by God driving a bullock dray through the sky, according to young Frying Pan.

Hay and Boolagil are extremely unlikely to experience snow - both are almost as hot as the 'other place'.

Answer: Having his full beard shaved off

The barber, seeing that he had a country hick in the chair, decided to play a practical joke on him. He dragged the back of a hot razor across the Man's neck, giving the impression that he had just cut his throat! After he returned to the safety of Ironbark, and news spread of his 'close shave' (pun intended), the locals decided that full beards were safer.

As you may be able to tell, Banjo is one of my favourite poets.

Answer: Throw a stone across the Darling River

The Darling is only fifty yards wide, but
"...As he trundled down, but his hopes they sank
For there wasn't a stone within fifty mile;
For the saltbush plain and the open down
Produce no quarries in Walgett town."

The stranger then produced a stone from his pocket, pelted it over the river and won his bet... He had 'Been There Before'.

Answer: He was named after a brand of whisky

Young Maginnis overheard the meeting between his parents and the preacher, and got the idea that joining the 'flock', was similar to branding a horse. He hid in a log, but his father chased him out with a stick. In all the excitement, the preacher forgot what name was picked out, and
"...The priest, as he fled, flung a flask at his head
That was labelled "Maginnis's Whisky"!

Answer: True

The origins of the music are a bit vague, but it is believed that it was based on an old Scottish tune called "Craigeelee". Paterson composed the words at Dagworth Station in western Queensland in 1895. His original lyrics have changed slightly over the years, but are still quite close to the original.

Answer: "Of droughts and flooding rains."

The verse concludes-
"I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!"

I recall chanting this verse in my younger school days. It is a stirring piece of verse, and describes our country beautifully. MacKellar, who was born in 1883, penned the poem when she was only nineteen.

Answer: He forgot the tea

The 'hero' was Mickety Mulga, and the poem named for him was published in 1936. Ranken also wrote about "The Big White Bull"- a hilarious ditty about Mickety 'conquering' a rather large bullock.

Answer: Said Hanrahan

Firstly, Hanrahan and his mates complained about the lack of rain. When it did eventually rain, they feared the possibilities of floods! After the rain stopped...
"And, oh, the smiles on every face,
As happy lad and lass
Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place
Went riding down to Mass."

What next? Complaining about bushfires- there is just no pleasing some people!

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan... "

Answer: Henry Harbord Morant

Morant was better known as 'the Breaker', a name gained from his ability to break wild horses. His execution, by order of Lord Kitchener, is still regarded as a travesty of justice. The trumped-up charges related to Morant and two other soldiers killing Boer prisoners. Was he merely following orders? Who knows? The details are clouded in mystery.

Morant composed 32 poems, including "Brigalow Mick", "Westward Ho!" and "Butchered to Make a Dutchman's Holiday".