Drumming the B/Banjo

Though ostensibly about the lives of white people living in the Australian bush toward the end of the 19^th century, A.B. [Banjo] Paterson's poetry actually describes - mainly male - behaviours associated with Australians' different life stages.

1] The man from Snowy River

This poem gives the nod to a myth which holds that Australians are not born but, rather, emerge from billabongs - either in the form of men or a sort of composite being - half man and half beast.

Like beasts, they are ruled by instinct rather than reason and frequently engage in feats of physical prowess. Much of this activity is violent and much of it is directed toward animals or the inanimate bush. Australian men normally partner with beings of great strength. This partnership is so strong that men invariably take on the physical characteristics of these beings. In the 20^th century men partnered with machines and this has continued into the and 21^st century. In the 19^th they partnered with animals – usually horses.

2] Mulga Bill's bicyle

This story about a proud bushman who buys a new fangled machine – a bicycle – appears at first to be a simple retelling of his experiences with it. But this is really about behaviours which occur commonly just prior to males reaching full maturity.

In earlier stages – as illustrated in the Man from Snowy River – men form relationships with either very strong animals or very strong inanimate objects. In this case Mulga Bill forms such a relationship even though he knows that such a relationship would develop successfully only if he was younger.

However it is not unusual that at this stage of the cycle the ageing, seeing their strengths slipping away, engage in activities that they would/should only do at a much earlier age.

Another feature of this age is the growing attraction of water. In this case in addition to attempting to partner with the bicycle he unconsciously allows it to take him towards water.

Though Mulga Bill fights against this unconscious need he is irrevocably drawn – and in this case rather rapidly – to the river. Again the poem gives a nod to a myth. In this case that Australians return to a water source at death.

In this poem Mulga Bill manages to put death off - he is not claimed by Dead Man’s creek even though ultimately he will go back to the water source from which he came.

3] Clancy of the Overflow

The ability to reflect on one’s situation and even to envisage a possible alternative develops in this later stage of life.

It is likely a form of avoidance behaviour as by this stage most Australians seem to develop an awareness that their lives will end as will their connections to those beings of great strength with which they partnered in earlier stages.

The avoidance behaviour includes wondering about how others live and considering animals and objects in a positive – even warm – way. This applies in the main to those animals and objects distant in space or time. In this poem it is the bush which has friends with “kindly voices”. The city, where the author lives is not seen so positively.

4] A-Waltzinga matilda

At the stage of life where they are close to death Australians start to contemplate the afterlife. At this time they usually revert to spending considerable amounts of time near water even though that contributes to the destruction of water sources.

The billabong or the sea - in the 21st century - is frequently used as a dumping place for rubbish or is over-used or over-fished.

Though Australians at this stage usually show concern for this destruction, they are more inclined to be considering the afterlife and their future.

A common belief is that they will be reborn and perhaps even return to this world. This poem alludes to a myth in which those reborn return as squatters, troopers, swagmen or jumbucks.