# Northward to the Sheds

First published in The Bulletin, 8 June 1895
There's a whisper from the regions out beyond the Barwon banks,  There’s a gathering of the legions and a forming of the ranks,  There’s a murmur coming nearer with the signs that never fail,  And it’s time for every shearer to be out upon the trail;  They must leave their girls behind them and their empty glasses, too,  For there’s plenty left to mind them when they cross the dry Barooo:  There’ll be kissing, there’ll be sorrow such as only sweethearts know,  But before the noon to-morrow they’ll be singing as they go;   For the Western creeks are calling,   And the idle days are done,   With the snowy fleeces falling,   And the Queensland sheds begun. 
There is shortening of the bridle, there is tightening of the girth,  There is fondling of the idol that they love the best on earth,  Northward from the Lachlan River and the sun-dried Castlereagh,  Outward to the Never-Never ride the “ringers” on their way.  From the green bends of the Murray they have run their horses in,  For there’s haste and there is hurry when the Queensland sheds begin;  On the Bogan they are bridling, they are saddling on the Bland, There is plunging and there’s sidling – for the colts don’t understand   That the Western creeks are calling,   And the idle days are done,   With the snowy fleeces falling,   And the Queensland sheds begun. 
They will camp below the station, they’ll be cutting peg and pole,  Rearing tents for occupation till the “calling of the roll,”  And it’s time the nags were driven, and it’s time to strap the pack,  For there’s never license given to the laggards on the track.  Hark! The music of the battle: it is time to bare our swords!  Do you hear the rush and rattle as they tramp along the boards?  They are past the pen-doors picking light-wooled weaners one by one;  I can hear the shear-blades clicking, and I know the fight’s begun!
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 was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse