Settler's Lament, The (The Beautiful Land of Australia)

DESCRIPTION: "Now all intent to emigrate, Come listen to the doleful fate...." The singer sailed for Australia, was wrecked, was spared by cannibals as too thin, and had his sheep die of rot. Coming home, he will sell matches before returning to Australia
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1854 (John Henderson's _Excursions and Adventures in New South Wales_); Anderson estimates his broadside is from c. 1842
KEYWORDS: emigration humorous hardtimes cannibalism return
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Paterson/Fahey/Seal-OldBushSongs-CentenaryEdition, pp. 101-105, "The Settler's Lament" (1 text)
Stewart/Keesing-FavoriteAustralianBallads, pp. 20-21, "The Settler's Lament" (1 text)
Anderson-FarewellToOldEngland, pp. 181-183, "The Settler's Lament" (1 text, 1 tune)

CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The King of the Cannibal Islands" (tune)
File: PFS101

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2024 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.