JOE WILSON AND HIS MATES
by Henry Lawson
Transcriber’s Note: This etext was entered twice (manually) and
electronically compared, by Alan R. Light This method assures a low rate
of errors in the text--often lower than in the original. Special thanks
go to Gary M. Johnson, of Takoma Park, Maryland, for his assistance in
procuring a copy of the original text, and to the readers of
soc.culture.australian and rec.arts.books (USENET newsgroups) for their
help in preparing the glossary. Italicized words or phrases are
capitalized. Some obvious errors may have been corrected.
*****
An incomplete glossary of Australian, British, or antique terms and
concepts which may prove helpful to understanding this book:
“A house where they took in cards on a tray” (from Joe Wilson’s
Courtship): An upper class house, with servants who would take a
visitor’s card (on a tray) to announce their presence, or, if the family
was out, to keep a record of the visit.
Anniversary Day: Mentioned in the text, is now known as Australia Day.
It commemorates the establishment of the first English settlement in
Australia, at Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), on 26 January 1788.
Gin: An obvious abbreviation of “aborigine”, it only refers to *female*
aborigines, and is now considered derogatory. It was not considered
derogatory at the time Lawson wrote.
Jackaroo: At the time Lawson wrote, a Jackaroo was a “new chum” or
newcomer to Australia, who sought work on a station to gain experience.
The term now applies to any young man working as a station hand. A
female station hand is a Jillaroo. Variant: Jackeroo.
Old-fashioned child: A child that acts old for their age. Americans
would say ‘Precocious’.
‘Possum: In Australia, a class of marsupials that were originally
mistaken for possums. They are not especially related to the possums of
North and South America, other than both being marsupials.
Public/Pub.: The traditional pub. in Australia was a hotel with a
“public” bar--hence the name. The modern pub has often (not always)
dispensed with the lodging, and concentrated on the bar.
Tea: In addition to the regular meaning, Tea can also mean a light snack
or a meal (i.e., where Tea is served). In particular, Morning Tea (about
10 AM) and Afternoon Tea (about 3 PM) are nothing more than a snack, but
Evening Tea (about 6 PM) is a meal. When just “Tea” is used, it usually
means the evening meal. Variant: Tea-time.
Tucker: Food.
Shout: In addition to the regular meaning, it also refers to buying
drinks for all the members of a group, etc. The use of this term can be
confusing, so the first instance is footnoted in the text.
Sly-grog-shop: An unlicensed bar or liquor-store.
Station: A farm or ranch, especially one devoted to cattle or sheep.
Store Bullock: Lawson makes several references to these. A bullock is
a castrated bull. Bullocks were used in Australia for work that was
too heavy for horses. ‘Store’ may refer to those cattle, and their
descendants, brought to Australia by the British government, and sold to
settlers from the ‘Store’--hence, the standard draft animal.
Also: a hint with the seasons--remember that the seasons are reversed
from those in the northern hemisphere, hence June may be hot, but
December is even hotter. Australia is at a lower latitude than the
United States, so the winters are not harsh by US standards, and are not
even mild in the north. In fact, large parts of Australia are governed
more by “dry” versus “wet” than by Spring-Summer-Fall-Winter.
--A. L.
JOE WILSON AND HIS MATES
Author of “While the Billy Boils”, “On the Track and Over the
Sliprails”, “When the World was Wide, and other verses”, “Verses,
Popular and Humorous”, “Children of the Bush”, “When I was King, and
other verses”, etc.
The Author’s Farewell to the Bushmen.
Some carry their swags in the Great North-West
Where the bravest battle and die,
And a few have gone to their last long rest,
And a few have said “Good-bye!”
The coast grows dim, and it may be long
Ere the Gums again I see;
So I put my soul in a farewell song
To the chaps who barracked for me.
Their days are hard at the best of times,
And their dreams are dreams of care--
God bless them all for their big soft hearts,
And the brave, brave grins they wear!
God keep me straight as a man can go,
And true as a man may be!
For the sake of the hearts that were always so,
Of the men who had faith in me!
And a ship-side word I would say, you chaps
Of the blood of the Don’t-give-in!
The world will call it a boast, perhaps--
But I’ll win, if a man can win!
And not for gold nor the world’s applause--
Though ways to the end they be--
I’ll win, if a man might win, because
Of the men who believed in me.
Contents.
Prefatory Verses--
The Author’s Farewell to the Bushmen.
Part I.
Joe Wilson’s Courtship.
Brighten’s Sister-In-Law.
‘Water Them Geraniums’.
I. A Lonely Track.
II. ‘Past Carin’’.
A Double Buggy at Lahey’s Creek.
I. Spuds, and a Woman’s Obstinacy.
II. Joe Wilson’s Luck.
III. The Ghost of Mary’s Sacrifice.
IV. The Buggy Comes Home.