Classic Australian Work Songs: From Shearing Sheds to the Outback

Waltzing Matilda

Lyricist: Banjo Paterson | Composer: Christina Macpherson
Australia's unofficial national anthem tells of a swagman who steals a sheep, then drowns himself in a billabong to avoid capture.

Click Go the Shears

Lyricist: Jack O'Hagan | Composer: Thomas Wood
Energetic song depicting shearers working in a shed, capturing their camaraderie and rhythm.

The Queensland Drover

Lyricist: Harry Morant | Composer: Unknown
Narrates a cattle drover's life driving herds across the harsh outback, full of pride and resilience.

The Shearer's Dream

Lyricist: Henry Lawson | Composer: Unknown
A shearer dreams of owning his own farm, embodying the Australian ideal of freedom and independence.

The Wild Colonial Boy

Lyricist/Composer: Unknown
Ballad of a young bushranger (outlaw) forced into crime, symbolizing the rebellious frontier spirit.