# The Fact of the Matter

I'm wonderin' why those fellers who go buildin' chipper ditties, 'Bout the rosy times out drovin', an' the dust an' death of cities, Don't sling the bloomin' office, strike some drover for a billet And soak up all the glory that comes handy while they fill it.
P'r'aps it's fun to travel cattle or to picnic with merinos, But the drover don't catch on, sir, not much high-class rapture he knows. As for sleepin' on the plains there in the shadder of the spear-grass, That's liked best by the Juggins with a spring-bed an' a pier-glass.
An' the camp fire, an' the freedom, and the blanky constellations, The 'possum-rug an' billy, an' the togs an' stale ole rations -- It's strange they're only raved about by coves that dress up pretty. An' sport a wife, an' live on slap-up tucker in the city.
I've tickled beef in my time clear from Clarke to Riverina, An' shifted sheep all round the shop, but blow me if I've seen a Single blanky hand who didn't buck at pleasures of this kidney, And wouldn't trade his blisses for a flutter down in Sydney.
Night-watches are delightful when the stars are really splendid To the chap who's fresh upon the job, but, you bet, his rapture's ended When the rain comes down in sluice-heads, or the cuttin' hailstones pelter, An' the sheep drift off before the wind, an' the horses strike for shelter.
Don't take me for a howler, but I find it come annoyin' To hear these fellers rave about the pleasures we're enjoyin', When p'r'aps we've nothin' better than some fluky water handy, An' they're right on all the lickers -- rum, an' plenty beer an' brandy.
The town is dusty, may be, but it isn't worth the curses 'Side the dust a feller swallers an' the blinded thirst he nurses When he's on the hard macadam, where the jumbucks cannot browse, an' The wind is in his whiskers, an' he follers twenty thousan'.
This drovin' on the plain, too, it's all O.K. when the weather Isn't hot enough to curl the soles right off your upper leather, Or so cold that when the mornin' wind comes hissin' through the grasses You can feel it cut your eyelids like a whip-lash as it passes.
Then there's bull-ants in the blankets, an' a lame horse, an' muskeeters, An' a D.T. boss like Halligan, or one like Humpy Peters Who is mean about the tucker, an' can curse from start to sundown, An' can fight like fifty devils, an' whose growler's never run down.
Yes, I wonder why the fellers what go buildin' chipper ditties 'Bout the rosy times out drovin' an' th' dust an' death of cities, Don't sling the bloomin' office, strike ole Peters for a billet, An' soak up all the glory that comes handy while they fill it.
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:
* published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
* anonymous or pseudonymous works and photographs published before January 1, 1955, and
* government works published more than 50 years ago (before January 1, 1974).
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in Australia on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.
Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1931, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 92 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse