Waltzing Matilda" "the unofficial
national anthem of Australia"
Global LYNCs Resource #1 Developed by Jo Tate
Hear the Music
Engage to learn
1. Has South Korea been
through bad economic
times in their history?
2. How did the South Korean
people recover from these
times?
3. Does South Korea have
some traditional songs?
What are they?
4. Are any of these songs
about historical events?
The Stream in Seoul after the Korean war
The History of the song ‘Waltzing Matilda’
• In 1894 the shearers
went on strike. They
blocked access to the
shearing shed used
for removing the
wool from the sheep.
The Squatter called
in the troopers to
deal with the
problem
English term
Meaning
Shearing (verb)
Removing wool from a sheep. These men are called Shearers (Noun)
Troopers (Noun)
Police
Squatters (Noun) Farmers who first started the farm. Usually came from England or Ireland
Strike (Noun)
Stop work. Refuse to work for their boss.
Who were the Swagmen?
During the Great Depression (1930’s)
Word
men who had no jobs walked from town
Swag
to town looking for work. They carried
their swag on their back. They lit fires to
keep warm. The used a billy to boil
water and cook food over the fire.
billy
Swagmen
Meaning
Blanket wrapped around
camping gear
Old tin used to cook over an
open fire
Men looking for work
Swagman (Noun)
swag(Noun)
Billy (Noun)
Swagmen looking for work
Verse 1
Word
Meaning
Jolly (Adjective)
Happy
Camped (Verb)
Ate and slept
Billabong (Noun)
Water hole
Coolibah (Noun)
Australian tree
Waltzing(verb)
A dance
Matilda(noun)
Ladies name
Boiled(verb)
Water heated >100 degrees
hot
Once a jolly swagman camped
by a billabong,
Under the shade of a Coolibah
tree,
And he sang as he watched
and waited till his billy boiled,
You'll come a Waltzing
Matilda with me.
Billy
Billabong
Swagman
Chorus:
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his
billy boil
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.
Verse 2
Word
Meaning
Jumbuck(noun)
sheep
Glee(verb)
happiness
Shoved(verb)
pushed
Tucker(noun)
food
Down came a jumbuck to
drink at that billabong
Up jumped the swagman and
grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he shoved that
jumbuck in his tucker bag
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda
with me.
Jumbuck
Chorus:
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his
billy boil
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.
Verse 3
Word
Meaning
Squatter(Noun)
Farm and sheep owner
Mounted(verb)
riding
Thorough-bred (Noun)
A horse breed
Troopers (Noun)
Police
Up rode the squatter
mounted on his
thorough-bred
Down came the
troopers One Two
Three
“Whose that jolly
jumbuck you've got in
your tucker bag?”
“You'll come a Waltzing
Matilda with me.”
Chorus:
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his
billy boil
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.
Verse 4
Word
Meaning
Sprang (verb)
jumped
Billabong (noun)
Water hole
Ghost (noun)
Spirit after death
Up jumped the
swagman sprang in
to the billabong
You'll never catch
me alive said he,
And his ghost may
be heard as you pass
by that billabong
“You'll come a
Waltzing Matilda
with me.”
Final Chorus
Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda, you’ll
come a Waltzing Matilda
with me
And his voice can be heard
As you pass by that
billabong
“You’ll come a Waltzing
Matilda with me”
True or False?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
It is hot weather for the Swagman
The jumbuck was thirsty
There were four troopers
The swagman was not a happy man
The swagman cooked his own food in a
frypan
6. It would be spooky today at that billabong
Living or non-living?
billy
swagman
jumbuck
billabong
trooper
squatter
tucker
Thorough-bred
Living things
Non living things
Complete the sentence using
the words from the box
•
•
•
•
•
•
Jumbucks
Shearing
Swagman
billabong
Sprang
Ghost
1. Wool is removed from the sheep by ………………………….
2. In summer the ……………………. was dry.
3. He …………………….. up and grabbed the sheep.
4. Sheep are also called……………………….. In Australia.
5. During the Great Depression there were a lot of
…………………………. Walking along roads.
6. Australian’s believe the ……………… of the jolly swagman
still haunts the billabong
What do you think?
• Should the Squatter (farmer) have called the
Troupers) about his missing sheep? Why or why not?
• What else could the Swagman have done when the
troopers (police) arrived?
• Do you believe the Swagman’s ghost may still be
heard?
Other Australian stories
• http://www.telelib.com/authors/L/LawsonHe
nry/indexalphashort.html