Digger's Farewell, The

DESCRIPTION: "Just as you say, sire, I'm off once more, The Palmer River, that's my way." "Ten long years since I landed here... But who lacks hardship looking for gold." "'Success to the Palmer!' -- is that your toast? Mine's 'Here's to the land I leave behind!'"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1928 (Greymouth Star, according to Bailey/Roth-ShantiesByTheWay-NZ)
KEYWORDS: mining hardtimes drink New Zealand
FOUND IN: New Zealand
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Bailey/Roth-ShantiesByTheWay-NZ, p. 66, "The Digger's Farewell" (1 text, 1 modern tune, with an indication of an earlier tune)
Colquhoun-NZ-Folksongs-SongOfAYoungCountry, p. 60, "Digger's Farewell" (1 text, 1 modern tune) (p. 36 in the 1972 edition)
Garland-FacesInTheFirelight-NZ, pp. 89-90, "(The Digger's Farewell/Farewell to the Grey)" (1 text)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Farewell to the Grey
NOTES [46 words]: Apparently a song of a gold digger who arrived in New Zealand in 1864 and has found little in that time but now (1874) intends to go to Australia. Apparently both Neil Colquhoun and Phil Garland set tunes; the published tunes are both Colquhoun's, but Garland recorded his. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: BaRo066

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