Hello Queensland - Sunshine State and Cowboy Country (North-west)

So from where we left off.... We reunited with our caravan at Threeways and headed East across the NT/QLD border.

NT/QLD border...

We found ourselves, almost by accident, in the middle of Banjo Patterson country (north-west QLD). We visited Combo Waterhole (now a Conservation Park), just east of Kynuna (the origins of Waltzing Matilda). This is the billabong where the swagman/men drowned fleeing the policemen at an unspecified date in the 1890's, leading on to Banjo Patterson creating the lyrics to the Aussie classic 'Waltzing Matilda'.

Scene of Banjo Patterson - Waltzing Matilda

Oh there was once a jolly swagman, camped by a billabong.... with his three boys xxx

After a hot walk out..

Next stop was Winton, home to 300-odd dinosaur footprints and the Waltzing Matilda Museum.

Banjo Patterson (Andrew Barton Patterson) is believed to have performed 'Waltzing Matilda' for the first time in the North Gregory Hotel in Winton in 1895... well we had to go there! There are now officially four versions of Waltzing Matilda.... see the end of this post for the original (highly disputed) lyrics by the man himself.

The North Gregory Hotel.... Banjo Patterson's first live performance of Waltzing Matilda

Homeschool in Winton Library

The fiveluckyducks are in full swing of 'Waltzing Matilda'....

Waltzing Matilda - Banjo Patterson, 1895

Oh there once was a swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree
and he sang as he looked at the old billy boiling
Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda my darling
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Waltzing Matilda leading a tucker bag
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the waterhole
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him in glee
And he sang as he put him away in the tucker-bag
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

You'll come a waltzing Matilda my darling
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Waltzing Matilda leading a tucker bag
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Up came the squatter a-riding his thoroughbred
Up came policemen, one, two and three
Who's is the jumbuck you've got in the tuckerbag
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

You'll come a waltzing Matilda my darling
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Waltzing Matilda leading a tucker bag
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Up sprang the swagman and jumped in the waterhole
Drowning himself by the Coolibah tree
and his ghost can be heard as it sings in the billabongs
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me