7 replies to this topic

[Rubber Ducky]

When I first came to Australia in 1970 it was really an being from a civalisded world first thing you learn is Australia has a "white policy rule" and when you hit Freo you talk about the otherside of Australia they look at you and say "WE ARE AUSTRALIA"( sorry gypsyjeff haha) that part is uninhabited, I said to an old timer but Captain cook founded Australia yes but he found out it was a terrible place and came here but no but's lad you going to gabble on all night or drink, that's another think the was 6 of us lad's from the uk and we hit dry land ( freo) and as boy's do hit the pub we asked for a beer expecting "which 1" as back home, but she bought this Glass Well!!! you should have seen it it took us about 10 sec's to polish it off can we had another round but this time give us 4 each please, but!! look luv( dont you call me luv) we are real men we drink pint's so why did't you say" after you finish that lot if you can stand I'll give you "schooner's" we were saying were go to stay in perth b4 our friends carry on their trip, Well say goodbye now cos once they hit Kal any further East their in no man's land, after another 1/2 hr we decided to get some fresh air? next thing we know we are our hotel room on our bed's in Perth found out later cop had shoved in a Black Maria, it's not BEER it's all chemicals, so next couple of day's hoilday decided needed a job,first mistake you don't ask an Aussie for direction's it's all jus around corner mate ( Right skippy) off to the dole to sign on, do I get a bus or taxi, first nah you woose you can walk it It felt like I walked from "The market's to thatto heath " just around the corner not that far leg's are getting tired now stop at a taxi rang no mate jump in, have no money yet? for you Pommy free took us 10/12 min's to get there hang on have to call in "Hey George off the air for 10 min's taking one of those bloody 10 pounds poms to the social got bloody lost bloody DAG, I said hey that's not nice listen you'll et more than that you'll get used to it, we arrived here son take a card if you need a taxi use the box?(ph box 5c in 1970) At the dole Son take a bit of scrap paper and a pencil and go and see if there's any job's that take your fancy other blokes come around and say nah you ain't got anythink, oh well i wont have any luck go back with 10 job's? northener he was, bloody nora lad I'll ring first one then the second and so on if you have no luck come back and fill some form's in to register, got out out side voice Shout's out hey Pom how do yew go hop in, I said I haven't got any money yet that's ok my treat a beer & a pie & chip's with lastings of gravy ok? for you ( found out that's an freo taxi driver's diet a pie chip's gravy & a beer i know I was one for 20years 1974-1994 to a pub same one intro's hi guy's meet me new mate here's a 10 pound pom first Intro to a new land on carried friendship until sadly he died about 20 years ago funny though, he was that well liked his Taxi mates put his coffin into his station wagon and must have been 40 taxi's following and some of his mates were cops gave him his last jouney stopping the traffic for him I felt really proud that was my first true ocker friend ( so I thought!!! everybody called him Aussie his real name was Gissper Gavono if your reading this heres to you m8 from your 10 pound pommy mate ( actually I paid 275 pound to come here but he said yea but get more mileage out of calling you a 10 pound pom)

[Clancy]

RD...why did you pay 275 pound to come here in 1970?

[Rubber Ducky]

Sorry I get used to thinking in $$$$$'s. we all had a great nosh up in singapore thought we weren't going to pay ha ha we went sighteering on our ship, used to our beaches saw this quarry turned out it was their beach

[leschip]

Clancy, please tell me what does "near the overflow" mean. It's been driving me daft, well dafter than usual

[Clancy]

Hi leschip ...Clancy Of The Overflow is a poem written by Banjo Patterson. Clancy was a shearer and drover and is written from the point of view of a man who lived in the city who met Clancy.
The Overflow is the name of the sheep station where Clancy worked, most likely in the High Country.
I do believe it was based on a true story and is one of Banjo Patterson's most famous poems

Banjo Patterson also included Clancy in the poem The Man From Snowy River. I'll just see if I can find all the words to the poem.
Here it is :

CLANCY OF THE OVERFLOW

by A.B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson

I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago
.He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
Just “on spec,” addressed as follows: “Clancy of The Overflow”.

And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,
(And I think the same was written with a thumbnail dipped in tar)
‘Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
“Clancy’s gone to Queensland droving, and we don’t know where he are.”

In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving “down the Cooper” where the western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing,
For the drover’s life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.

And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars.

I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy
Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall,
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city
Through the open window floating, spreads its foulness over all.

And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle
Of the tramways and the buses making hurry down the street,
And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting,
Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet.

And the hurrying people daunt me, and their pallid faces haunt me
As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste,
With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy,
For townsfolk have no time to grow, they have no time to waste.

And I somehow rather fancy that I’d like to change with Clancy,
Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go,
While he faced the round eternal of the cashbook and the journal –
But I doubt he’d suit the office, Clancy, of “The Overflow.”

Edited by Clancy, 18 December 2010 - 05:28 AM.

[leschip]

Thanks Clancy Another of lifes mysteries cleared up

[Clancy]

You are very welcome leschip

[Rubber Ducky]

Thank's Clancy for that poem I do remember reading that to my grandson a few years back, but handed back to his mother & father thankfully he fell asleep cos he wanted to know this & that, I said to my son a while later your the aussie you can now tell him