“The Cockies of Bungaree”
Description
The unemployed worker takes a job clearing for a cocky at Bungaree. He finds that the working conditions are miserable, and the cocky expects him to be at work before dawn. (Within days the singer concludes that anything is better than this, and quits)
Notes
A "cocky" is a farmer who owns land so poor that it can't raise anything but cockatoos. Bungaree, a short way north of Melbourne, lies within a large area of such poor land. (Even in the settled parts of Australia, the majority of the land is very bad.) - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "The Stringybark Cockatoo" (plot, lyrics)
- cf. "Rhynie" (theme)
Recordings
- John Greenway, "The Cockies of Bungaree" (on JGreenway01)
- A. L. Lloyd, "The Cockies of Bungaree" (on Lloyd3, Lloyd8) (Lloyd4, Lloyd8)
References
- Fahey-Eureka, pp. 128-129, "The Cockies of Bungaree" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Manifold-PASB, pp. 104-105, "The Cockies of Bungaree" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Paterson/Fahey/Seal, pp. 264-266, "Cockies of Bungaree" (1 text)
- DT, COCKBUNG* COCKBUN2*
- BI, FaE128