Come all ye wild colonials And listen to my tale;
A story of bushrangers’ deeds I will to you unveil.
‘Tis of those gallant heroes, Game fighters one and all;
And we’ll sit and sing, Long Live the King,
Dunn,Gilbert, and Ben Hall.
Ben Hall he was a squatter bloke Who owned a thousand head;
A peaceful man he was until Arrested by Sir Fred.
His home burned down, his wife cleared out,
His cattle perished all;
“They’ll not take me a second time,’
Says valiant Ben Hall.
John Gilbert was a flash cove, And John O’Meally too;
With Ben and Bourke and Johnny Vane
They all were comrades true.
They rode into Canowindra And gave a public ball.
‘Roll up, roll up, and have a spree,’
Says Gilbert and Ben Hall.
They took possession of the town, Including the public-houses,
And treated all the cockatoos And shouted for their spouses.
They danced with all the pretty girls And held a carnival.
‘We don’t hurt them who don’t hurt us,’
Says Gilbert and Ben Hall.
They made a raid on Bathurst, The pace was getting hot;
But Johnny Vane surrendered After Micky Burke was shot,
O’Meally at Goimbla Did like a hero fall;
‘The game is getting lively,’
Says John Gilbert and Ben Hall.
Then Gilbert took a holiday, Ben Hall got new recruits;
The Old Man and Dunleavy Shared in the plunder’s fruits.
Dunleavy he surrendered And they jagged the Old Man tall –
So Johnny Gilbert came again
To help his mate Ben Hall.
John Dunn he was a jockey bloke, A-riding all the winners,
Until he joined Hall’s gang to rob The publicans and sinners;
And many a time the Royal Mail Bailed up at John Dunn’s call.
A thousand pounds is on their heads –
Dunn, Gilbert, and Ben Hall.
‘Next week we’ll visit Goulburn And clean the banks out there;
So if you see the troopers, Just tell them to beware;
Some day to Sydney city We mean to pay a call,
And we’ll take the whole damn country,’
Says Dunn, Gilbert, and Ben Hall.
(Anonymous Oceania)
More Poetry from Anonymous Oceania:
Anonymous Oceania Poems based on Topics: Time, Countries, Heroism, Kings & Queens- The Old Bark Hut (Anonymous Oceania Poems)
- The Kelly Gang (Anonymous Oceania Poems)
- Billy Barlow in Australia (Anonymous Oceania Poems)
- A Voice From The Bush (Anonymous Oceania Poems)
- Paddy Malone in Australia (Anonymous Oceania Poems)
- The Old Keg of Rum (Anonymous Oceania Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Time Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Countries Poems, Heroism PoemsBased on Keywords: bourke, spouses, gilbert, recruits, dunn, jockey, winners, burke, cockatoos, publicans, a-riding