Stringybark Creek

DESCRIPTION: "A sergeant and three constables rode out from Mansfield Town" to seek the Kelly gang. When they separate, Kelly overwhelms two, then catches the other two as they return. One man, MacIntyre, escapes to bring the news to Mansfield
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1964
KEYWORDS: outlaw death trick horse
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1855 - Birth of Ned Kelly
1880 - Execution of Kelly. His last words are reported to have been "Such is life."
FOUND IN: Australia
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Anderson-StoryOfAustralianFolksong, pp. 136-137, "Stringybark Creek" (1 text, 1 tune)
Manifold-PenguinAustralianSongbook, pp. 70-72, "Stringybark Creek" (1 text, 2 tunes)
ADDITIONAL: John S. Manifold, _Who Wrote the Ballads? Notes on Australian Folksong_, Australasian Book Society, 1964, pp. 77-78, "A Sergeant and Three Constables" (1 text)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Kelly Was Their Captain" (subject) and notes and references there
NOTES [131 words]: Manifold-PenguinAustralianSongbook reports that there is also a fiddle tune named "Stringybark Creek," which is sometimes used for this song. Said tune sounds vaguely familiar; I think I've heard it under another name. But it's not one of the common fiddle tunes.
Anderson reports the tune as "The Wearing of the Green" but says that at least one other tune is used.
John S. Manifold, Who Wrote the Ballads? Notes on Australian Folksong, Australasian Book Society, 1964, p. 75, says that W. J. Wye, who collected ths, considered this the oldest ballad of the Kelly Gang.
Edward "Ned" Kelly and his gang are perhaps the most famous of all Australian bushrangers. For some anecdotes of his life, in addition to the cross-referenced songs, see the notes to "Kelly Was Their Captain." - RBW
Last updated in version 5.2
File: PASB070

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