699. The Ballad Of 1891 (Helen Palmer, Doreen Jacobs)

In 1891 the Queensland pastoralists, known as the squatters, decided to fight against the Shearers Union and try to force an agreement that did away with the eight-hour day. On January 6th, the shearer's rejected this erosion of their newly won conditions, and began a major strike. The scale of the ensuing confrontation is said to be the closest Australia has been to a state of civil war.

The government took the side of the squatters and used police and heavily armed troops to escort large groups of scab labourers through the pickets to the shearing sheds. The strikers set up big bush camps run by elected committees which were used to house the strikers and their organisers throughout the campaign. The arrest of key strike leaders only hardened their resolve and on May 1st, 1500 armed strikers marched through Barcaldine town while the trials of the arrested unionists began in Rockhampton, 12 of them being jailed for conspiracy.

The lyrics of this song were written as a poem in 1950 by Helen Palmer. It was set to music by Doreen Jacobs and soon became an anthem for the workers, who were facing a new bout of anti-union legislation from the conservative Liberal government led by Robert Menzies.

You can see a playlist of my Australian songs here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0DE11C284435E7A2

For lyrics and chords of all my songs please see my website: http://www.raymondcrooke.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• folk
• song
• australia
• union
• shearers
• strike
• bush
• wool
• joe
• hill
• woody
• guthrie

[licensedtochill1]

Most excellent rendition.

I take my hat off to you Sir.

[raymondcrooke]

@licensedtochill1 Thank you.

[Elapses]

Great video Raymond! Would love to know what chords you play? As a younger Australian, I never knew about these stories, and I feel that it is hard to have a sense of self without a sense of your own history. Cheers!

[raymondcrooke]

@Elapses Lyrics and chords of all my songs are on my website. See the link in the information panel above. Click on "My Folk Songs", then "Australian Folk Songs", then "Pastoral Australia" and you will find it. Let me know if you have any problems.

[Oldgittom]

Raymond,

most people haven't heard it becoz it is one echo of Australia's proud radical history. First Labour government, first to give women the vote (I think) - not the sort of stuff Dirty Dingo Murdoch (Skyglobnews) wants remembered. OGT

[raymondcrooke]

@Oldgittom Good point!

[raymondcrooke]

@Oldgittom Well, I suppose most people have never heard it at all! Thanks for watching.

[Oldgittom]

Wonderful. Haven't heard that in years. OGT

[raymondcrooke]

Not all that different from the history of the unions in the US, Tony. It's always been a struggle.

[raymondcrooke]

Did you see my video of this?

/watch?v=Kg2k9_xFHYI