Monday, January 26, 2009

Australia Day part 2

I love a sunburnt country

A land of sweeping plains

Of ragged mountain ranges

Of drought and flooding rains

I love her far horizons

I love her jewel sea

Her beauty and her terror-

The wide brown land for me.



Dorothea Mackellar 1886-1968


I had prepared an extensive A Day post with flags, coat of arms, recipes, songs and poetry, but something in there was not acceptable to Mr Blogg and no matter what I tried it wouldn't publish. In frustration I gave up and settled for a bikkie.

8 comments:

  1. Sorry Blogger was grumpy today. Perhaps you can post tomorrow.

    Patriotism was something few American I know have felt for the past 8 years. But with Mr. Obama there's definitely a feeling of relief around my town.

    A bikkie? Is that a British word for cookie?

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  2. Hi Dan, yes abbreviation for biscuit (cookie to you)

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  3. Great Poem - have you read Banjo Patterson - real dinkum Aussie stuff.

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  4. Alden : You reminded me of a great kids story book we had called Mulga Bill's Bicycle by Banjo Patterson. It starts:

    'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze;
    He turned away the good old horse that served him many days;
    He dressed himself in cycling clothes, resplendent to be seen;
    He hurried off to town and bought a shining new machine;
    And as he wheeled it through the door, with air of lordly pride,
    The grinning shop assistant said, `Excuse me, can you ride?'

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  5. Alden Dorothea Mackellar's 'My Country' from where this verse is taken, is a longer poem which you will find on that email I had hoped to post today.

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  6. The north wind is tossing the leaves
    The red dust is over the town
    The sparrow is under the eaves
    And the grass in the paddock is brown...

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  7. Katherine - I love this little poem - who wrote it?

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  8. Katherine - I looked it up and see it is a carol - I've never heard it so thank you for that.

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