Saturday, April 2, 2011

The A~Z CHALLENGE Day 2..B= Billabong.

Day…2,  a-z challenge: 

the letter B...Billabong…
Billabong is an Australian English word meaning a small lake, specifically an oxbow lake, a section of still water adjacent to a river, cut off by a change in the watercourse. 

Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end. 

Billabongs, reflecting the arid Australian climate in which these "dead rivers" are found, fill with water seasonally and are dry for a greater part of the year.

The word is most likely derived from the indigenous Wiradjuri term bilabaŋ. As the lake kept water longer than parts of the river, it was important to the people to name these areas. One source claims a Scottish Gaelic origin of the term.

                              Billabong in the northern territory


                       Yellow Water Billabong in Kakadu National Park

The famous lyrics to Banjo Patterson’s “Waltzing Matilda”  which is our unofficial national anthem.

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,
"You'll never catch me alive", said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

The  words that you will not be familiar with unless you are an Australian are defined in wickipedia for your information.

Jumbuck...An Australian name for sheep.

Swagman...during the depression and before men went in search of work, often on foot. They carried their meager belongings on a stick slung with  a cloth called a swag.

Trooper...Policemen

3 comments:

  1. Thanks - I've heard other explanations for the words in the song, but they never seemed to help as much as yours did!

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  2. Ah I do love Waltzing Mathilda - although I never new what Billabong actually meant! Thanks for educating me :)
    http://thebookgatherer.blogspot.com/2011/04/b.html

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  3. Awhhh...my Mom loved Waltzing Mathilda! I had heard the word billabong, but, never knew what it meant. Found you from the A-Z Challenge, looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun, with maybe a little bit of stress thrown in!! I’m already a follower of your great blog.
    Monica
    http://oldermommystillyummy.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

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