Skip to content
Linespedia

The Gundaroo Bullock

Topics: classic

Oh, there's some that breeds the Devon that's as solid as a stone, And there's some that breeds the brindle which they call the "Goulburn Roan"; But amongst the breeds of cattle there are very, very few Like the hairy-whiskered bullock that they breed at Gundaroo. Far away by Grabben Gullen, where the Murrumbidgee flows, There's a block of broken country-side where no one ever goes; For the banks have gripped the squatters, and the free selectors too, And their stock are always stolen by the men of Gundaroo. There came a low informer to the Grabben Gullen side, And he said to Smith the squatter, "You must saddle up and ride, For your bullock's in the harness-cask of Morgan Donahoo, He's the greatest cattle-stealer in the whole of Gundaroo." "Oh, ho!" said Smith, the owner of the Grabben Gullen run, "I'll go and get the troopers by the sinking of the sun, And down into his homestead tonight we'll take a ride, With warrants to identify the carcass and the hide." That night rode down the troopers, the squatter at their head, They rode into the homestead, and pulled Morgan out of bed. "Now, show to us the carcass of the bullock that you slew, The hairy-whiskered bullock that you killed in Gundaroo." They peered into the harness-cask, and found it wasn't full, But down among the brine they saw some flesh and bits of wool. "What's this?" exclaimed the trooper; "an infant, I declare;" Said Morgan, "'Tis the carcass of an old man native bear. I heard that ye were coming, so an old man bear I slew, Just to give you kindly welcome to my home in Gundaroo. "The times are something awful, as you can plainly see, The banks have broke the squatters, and they've broke the likes of me; We can't afford a bullock, such expense would never do, So an old man bear for breakfast is a treat in Gundaroo." And along by Grabben Gullen, where the rushing river flows, In the block of broken country where there's no one ever goes, On the Upper Murrumbidgee, they're a hospitable crew, But you mustn't ask for "bullock" when you go to Gundaroo.

AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.

About this line

"Oh, there's some that breeds the Devon that's as solid as a stone,..."

"The Gundaroo Bullock" is a quintessential example of Banjo Paterson (Andrew Barton)'s signature style... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

Classified Tags

Related lines

"Our moneys all spent, to the deuce went it!         The landlord, he looks glum,     On the tap-room wall, in a very bad scrawl,         He ha"

"There's a soldier that's been doing of his share In the fighting up and down and round about. He's continually marching here and there, And he's fi"

"An angel stood beside the bed Where lay the living and the dead. He gave the mother, her who died, A kiss that Christ the Crucified Had sent to"

"Scene: Federal Political Arena A darkened cave. In the middle, a cauldron, boiling. Enter the three witches. 1ST WITCH: Thrice hath the Federal J"

"Here morning in the ploughman's songs is met     Ere yet one footstep shows in all the sky,     And twilight in the east, a doubt as yet,     S"

"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Continue Reading

"Our moneys all spent, to the deuce went it!       ..."

Weekly Poetic Insight

Join our literary Sanctuary

Get the most inspiring lines, poetic analysis, and secret shayaris delivered to your inbox every Sunday.