"The Shores of Botany Bay", also known as "Botany Bay", is a
traditional
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
song. The song's narrator is a
bricklayer
A bricklayer, which is related to but different from a mason, is a craftsman and tradesman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The terms also refer to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. ...
working long hours in poor conditions at the dockyards. He quits his job and emigrates to
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 ...
. He sings of
Botany Bay
Botany Bay (Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...
, the location of
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, and dreams of prosperity that the
Australian Gold Rush
During the Australian gold rushes, starting in 1851, significant numbers of workers moved from elsewhere in Australia and overseas to where gold had been discovered. Gold had been found several times before, but the colonial government of Ne ...
might bring him.
Recordings
"The Shores of Botany Bay" has been recorded many times by a variety of artists, including:
*
The Irish Rovers
The Irish Rovers is a group of Irish musicians that originated in Toronto, Canada. Formed in 1963'Irish Rovers are Digging out those old Folk songs', By Ballymena Weekly Editor, Ballymena Weekly Telegraph, N. Ireland – 20 August 1964 and na ...
on the album ''
Come Fill Up Your Glasses''
*
The Wolfe Tones
The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning of ...
on the album ''
Irish to the Core''
*
The Dublin City Ramblers
The Dublin City Ramblers is an Irish Folk music of Ireland, folk band, originally formed by the name of The Quare Fellas in 1970. The band has had a long line of members and Sean McGuinness is the only current of the original line-up, that also i ...
on the album ''
Flight of Earls''
*
Tommy Makem
Thomas Makem (4 November 1932 – 1 August 2007) was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo ...
and
Liam Clancy
Liam Clancy ( ga, Liam Mac Fhlannchadha; 2 September 1935 – 4 December 2009) was an Irish folk singer from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest member of the influential folk group the Clancy Brothers, regarded as Ireland's ...
on the album ''
In Concert''
*
Patrick Clifford on the album ''
American Wake
''American Wake'' is the third album by Kansas City Celtic rock band The Elders.
Track listing
# "Moore St. Girls"
# "Hardline"
# "American Wake"
# "St. Kevin"
# "Men of Erin
Erin is a Hiberno-English word for Ireland originating fr ...
''
*
Blaggards
Blaggards are an American Celtic rock band from Houston, Texas. The Houston Press has described them as "H-town's heir to the emerald throne of Phil Lynott and Shane MacGowan".
History
Blaggards are led by guitarist and singer Patrick Devlin, ...
on the album ''Standards''
*
Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones on the album ''Far Away in Australia''
*
The Bushwackers & Bullockies Bush Band on the album ''Australian Songbook 1''
* on the album ''Affentheater''
References
External links
The Traditional Ballad Index
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shores of Botany Bay, The
Folk ballads
Irish folk songs
Year of song unknown
Works about human migration
Songs about Australia