Way Back When

[Glen Hughes]

14 - Way Back When

We all just take for granted,
and never give much thought,
to pioneers of this country,
for year in year out fought.
They struggled through the outback,
building empires in the sand,
through choking dust, heat and sweat,
they opened up this land.

Eyre, Sturt, Burke & Wills,
all driven to explore,
North, South, East and West.
they pushed from shore to shore.
In search of gold and glitter,
risking life and limb,
to map, sketch and document,
took failure on the chin.

Rivers flowing westward,
visions of reward,
an oasis in the desert,
just had to be explored.
Burke & Wills gave their all,
they never made it through,
seas of salt, hard and dry,
Eyres Lake, one of two.

In eighteen hundred and fifty one,
flecks of gold were found,
diggers in a gold rush,
we’re scratching up the ground.
Within a year, migration,
from all round the globe,
amassed to make their fortunes,
on the Ballarat, Bendigo road.

Charlie Rasp, on fence patrol,
was first to see the sign,
stepped off his horse, picked up a rock,
so heavy and sparkled with shine.
Broken Hill, they built a town,
silver, lead and zinc,
the greatest body of ore was found,
and shafts begun to sink.

100 ounces, alluvial gold,
Mt Charlotte, WA,
found by Paddy, Thomas and Dan,
still talked about today.
The richest fields in the world,
The Golden Mile, was struck,
Kalgoorlie built, leases pegged,
diggers in search of luck.

Johnny Miles, was all smiles,
to prospect, his fixation.
he found a rock, that caught his eye,
aware of mineralisation.
Mt Isa township born and built,
mining underway,
shafts and tunnels, underground,
still mining there today.

Albert Namatjira,
a proud Arrernte man.
produced so many visions,
with paint and brush in hand.
John Flynn, O.B.E,
the Flying Doctor man,
founder of the A.I.M,
in central Australian lands.

We all just take for granted,
and never give much thought,
to pioneers of this country,
for year in year out fought.
To open up Australia,
building empires in the sand,
through choking dust, heat and sweat,
they opened up this land.

Glen Hughes ©
30/3/22

[Shelley Hansen]

We certainly do ride on the shoulders of giants, Glen.