''Saltbush Bill'' is a humorous poem by
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n writer and poet
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson. It was first published in ''
The Bulletin
Bulletin or The Bulletin may refer to:
Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals)
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* ''The Bulletin'' (Australian periodical), an Australian magazine (1880–2008)
** Bulletin Debate, ...
'' magazine on 15 December 1894, the Christmas issue of that publication.
[Austlit - "Saltbush Bill" by A. B. Paterson]
/ref>
Saltbush Bill was one of Paterson's best known characters who appeared in 5 poems: "Saltbush Bill" (1894), "Saltbush Bill's Second Fight
''Saltbush Bill's Second Fight'' is a humorous poem by Australian writer and poet Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson. It was first published in ''The Antipodean'' in 1897.
Saltbush Bill was one of Paterson's best known characters who appeared in 5 ...
" (1897), "Saltbush Bill's Gamecock
''Saltbush Bill's Gamecock'' is a humorous poem by Australian writer and poet Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson. It was first published in ''Brooks's Australian Xmas Annual'' Volume 1 1898.
Saltbush Bill was one of Paterson's best known characters ...
" (1898), "Saltbush Bill on the Patriarchs
''Saltbush Bill on the Patriarchs'' is a humorous poem by Australian writer and poet Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson. It was first published in ''The Evening News'' on 19 December 1903.
Saltbush Bill was one of Paterson's best known characters w ...
" (1903), and " Saltbush Bill, J.P." (1905).[''The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature'', 2nd edition, p670]
Plot summary
The character is introduced in this poem as a drover of sheep along "the track of the Overland", who stretches "the law of the Great Stock Routes" by allowing his sheep to make use of all the good grass they find. On the occasion described in the poem, Bill's sheep have spread across a squatter's property. A Jackaroo arrives and attempts to drive the sheep back into the accepted "space of the half-mile track". An argument and then fight ensues between Bill and the Jackaroo, and, while Bill concedes after a marathon fight, in the end he achieves his aim of finding his sheep a good feed.
Further publications
* '' The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses'' by Banjo Paterson (1895)
* ''Favourite Australian Poems'' edited by Ian Mudie (1963)
* ''The Penguin Book of Australian Verse'' edited by Harry Payne Heseltine (1972)
* ''A Treasury of Colonial Poetry'' (1982)
* ''Singer of the Bush, A. B. (Banjo) Paterson : Complete Works 1885-1900'' edited by Rosamund Campbell and Philippa Harvie (1983)
* ''A Vision Splendid : The Complete Poetry of A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson'' (1990)
* ''A Treasury of Bush Verse'' edited by G. A. Wilkes (1991)
* ''The Penguin Book of Australian Ballads'' edited by Elizabeth Webby and Philip Butterss (1993)
See also
* 1894 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).
Events
* April — The Yellow Book first published (continues to 1897).
* June 22 — Nina Davis' first published ...
* 1894 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1894.
Events
*February – Oscar Wilde's play '' Salome'' is first published in English, with illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley.
*February 15 – French anarchist Ma ...
* 1894 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1894.
Books
* Rolf Boldrewood – ''A Modern Buccaneer''
* Guy Boothby – '' In Strange Company : A Story of Chili and the Southern Seas''
* ...
* Australian literature
Australian literature is the written or literary work produced in the area or by the people of the Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding colonies. During its early Western history, Australia was a collection of British colonies; as such, ...
References
{{Banjo Paterson
1894 poems
Poetry by Banjo Paterson
Works originally published in The Bulletin (Australian periodical)