Waltzing Matilda - an in-costume, a cappella primer (with props!)
An a cappella rendition of Australia's most famous bush ballad (and our unofficial national anthem) for Waltzing Matilda Day!
The original lyrics to Waltzing Matilda were written by Banjo Paterson in 1895, and first published as sheet music in 1903.
Paterson wrote the lyrics while staying at Dagworth Station, near the town of Winton in Central West Queensland. Christina Macpherson, one of the family members who owned the station, played the tune of 'The Craigielee March' (James Barr, 1818) for Paterson (by ear and from memory) during his stay at the station, and he decided to set lyrics to it.
In 2012, Winton declared the 6th of April to be the inaugural Waltzing Matilda Day, to commemorate the anniversary of the song's first performance.
Swag: a portable bed that can function as a backpack.
Swagman: an itinerant worker who travelled by foot between farms, carrying his belongings in a swag.
Billabong: a watering hole (specifically an oxbow lake - a small body of water left behind when a river changes course).
Waltzing Matilda: travelling by foot (waltzing) with belongings in a swag (a.k.a. a 'Matilda').
Billy: a lightweight bucket or pot used to boil water for tea or coffee.
Jumbuck: a sheep.
Tucker bag: a food storage bag.
Squatter: a landowner.
Thoroughbred: a fancy horse.
Trooper: a mounted police officer.
Vocals: Alix Roberts
Arrangement: Alix Roberts
Video editing, logo and logo sting: Josh Dykgraaf
The image of the swagman is a photograph taken c. 1901, author unknown. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swagman...)
The image of the billabong is a photo of Combo Waterhole (thought to be the location of the story that inspired the song), taken by Alun Hoggett, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons. Text and arrows added for this video.
Sheep mask made using a template by Paperstatue: https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/Paperstatue