Scots of the Riverina
Encyclopedia
Scots of the Riverina is an Australian bush poem by Henry Lawson
. It is set in the Riverina
, New South Wales
in the town of Gundagai
. It tells of a boy who leaves home at the start of the harvest
to move to the city, an unheard of and unforgivable thing for a Scot
to do in the early 1900's, according to the poet: "They were Scots of the Riverina, and to run from home was a crime.".
The boy's father, the old "Scot of the Riverina", burns all of his son's letters, removes his son's name from the Family Bible
, and vowes to never speak of his son again.
Eventually the boy goes to war and is killed at Flanders
, and the poem ends with the father writing his son's name back into the bible.
Australian country singer Lee Kernaghan
interpreted the poem musically on his album The Outback Club
in 1992.
It was also recorded by John Schumann
on his album Lawson
and also included on his album Behind the Lines
.
Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson was an Australian writer and poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period and is often called Australia's "greatest writer"...
. It is set in the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in the town of Gundagai
Gundagai, New South Wales
Gundagai is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town...
. It tells of a boy who leaves home at the start of the harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
to move to the city, an unheard of and unforgivable thing for a Scot
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
to do in the early 1900's, according to the poet: "They were Scots of the Riverina, and to run from home was a crime.".
The boy's father, the old "Scot of the Riverina", burns all of his son's letters, removes his son's name from the Family Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and vowes to never speak of his son again.
Eventually the boy goes to war and is killed at Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, and the poem ends with the father writing his son's name back into the bible.
Australian country singer Lee Kernaghan
Lee Kernaghan
Lee Kernaghan OAM is an Australian country music singer and songwriter. He was the 2008 Australian of the Year.-Honours:Kernaghan received the Order of Australia Medal in 2004....
interpreted the poem musically on his album The Outback Club
The Outback Club
The Outback Club is the debut album by Australian country musician Lee Kernaghan. It won "Best Country Album" at the ARIA Music Awards of 1993.-Track listing:# Boys From The Bush# High Country# She Waits By The Sliprails...
in 1992.
It was also recorded by John Schumann
John Schumann
John Lewis Schumann is an Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist from Adelaide. He is best known as the lead singer for the folk group Redgum, with their chart-topping hit "I Was Only 19 ", a song exploring the psychological and medical side-effects of serving in the Australian forces during...
on his album Lawson
Lawson (album)
Lawson is the first album by John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew. It is Schumann's first album since 1993's True Believers.It marked the first time that Schumann had worked on an album with Hugh McDonald and Michael Atkinson since Schumann left Redgum in 1986.The album consists of the poetry of...
and also included on his album Behind the Lines
Behind the Lines (John Schumann album)
Behind the Lines is the second album by John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew.It consists almost entirely of cover songs and musical renditions of poems...
.