• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Institute of Australian Culture

Heritage, history, and heroes; literature, legends, and larrikins

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Biographies
  • Books
  • Ephemera
  • Poetry & songs
    • Recommended poetry
    • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
    • Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
    • Rock music and pop music [videos]
    • Early music [videos]
  • Slang
  • Timeline
    • Timeline of Australian history and culture
    • Calendar of Australian history and culture
    • Significant events and commemorative dates
  • Topics

Ex-Senator McColl in a new role [12 August 1915]

2 February 2022 · Leave a Comment

[Editor: This article, which includes some songs by James McColl (1844-1929), was published in The Kyneton Guardian (Kyneton, Vic.), 12 August 1915.]

Ex-Senator McColl in a new role.

Up in Bendigo they had, notwithstanding the rain, on Australian Red Cross Day an exceptionally good time, and incidentally gathered in over £3000, which was a record for the provinces. Bendigo has, however, always been strongly to the fore in such movements, and just as it set a fine example years ago by initiating the Easter Fair movement in aid of the local hospital funds, so on this occasion it turned the poetical talents of one of its best known citizens into hard cash for the benefit of our wounded soldiers. The gentleman in question was ex-Senator J. H. McColl who furnished four or five sets of stirring patriotic songs, which could be sung to well-known airs. Printed in a neat little booklet, decorated with gaily colored flags, these songs furnished an appropriate souvenir of the day, and brought in a very considerable addition to the funds. All honor to Mr. McColl for his clever idea and generous gift. Appended are one or two of the verses of the various songs:—

“Australia Day,” sung to the tune of “Marching through Georgia”—

And truly has our faith in them been fully justified,
The Empire rings with praise of them, it echoes far and wide,
By feats that few would dare to do they have been fairly tried,
Those brave boys of ours from Australia.

Chorus—
Hurrah, hurrah, across the ocean foam,
Hurrah, hurrah, our boys are coming home.
By deeds renowned and honor crowned,
In pride of heart to-day,
We welcome our boys to Australia.

“Our Boys in Front,” sung to the tune of the “Men of Harlech,” strikes a bold, triumphant note—

King and Empire now are calling,
Comes the word that men are falling,
Yet flinch not, howe’er appalling,
Hasten now away.

Not for conquest do we send you,
But for righteousness we lend you,
Strong in faith, God will defend you,
Go you forth to-day.

God will bless you going,
Cause your foes’ undoing.
Nerve your arm, in all alarm, to you
His purpose showing.

Lean on Him, He will defend you,
And a victory sure will send you.
All Australia’s prayers attend you,
Forward to the fray.

“The Lion’s Cubs,” to the tune of “Tramp, tramp, the Boys are Marching,” is a song of forecast victory—

When the Kaiser and his Huns with his poison gases and guns,
Thought to make the grand old British Lion fear,
He forgot that o’er the seas, swiftly borne upon the breeze,
The Lion’s cubs were quickly drawing near.

Chorus—
Tramp, tramp, tramp, we hear them marching,
From East, West, North, and South they come,
And with every wind that blows they fly to meet their foes
In defence of Honor, Liberty, and Home.

The Canadians in the North also bravely sallied forth,
And have won their land imperishable fame,
And now in the Dardanelles, as the record truly tells,
The Australian boys have also played the game.

Chorus—
Tramp, tramp, tramp, we hear them marching, etc.

So, too, “The Boys of Australia,” sung to “Johnny Comes Marching Home,” and “Gallipoli,” set to the tune of “My Native Land,” are spirit-stirring productions, of which Bendigonians may well be proud.



Source:
The Kyneton Guardian (Kyneton, Vic.), 12 August 1915, p. 4

Also published in:
The Chiltern and Howlong Times and Ovens Register (Chiltern, Vic.), 6 August 1915, p. 2
The Ararat Advertiser, and Chronicle for the Stawell and Wimmera Districts (Ararat, Vic.), 7 August 1915, p. 3
The Mildura Telegraph and Darling and Lower Murray Advocate (Mildura, Vic.), 10 August 1915, p. 1

Editor’s notes:
The title of this article rhymes (“Ex-Senator McColl / in a new role”), which may well have been a deliberate bit of editorial humour.

The booklet referred to in this article is: J. H. McColl, Patriotic Songs for Australia Day, July 30, 1915, Bendigo: Bolton Bros. [printers], 1915 (the publication stated its charitable intent: “Proceeds for the Australia Day Wounded Soldiers Fund”)

Australia Day = 30 July (also known as “Australian Red Cross Day”), a patriotic day dedicated to raising funds for the Australian Red Cross during the First World War (1914-1918); can also refer to “Australia Day”, 26th of January, a patriotic day which celebrates the anniversary of the foundation of the British colony at Sydney, New South Wales, in 1788

Australian Red Cross Day = 30 July (also known as “Australia Day”), a patriotic day dedicated to raising funds for the Australian Red Cross during the First World War (1914-1918)

Bendigonian = an inhabitant of the city of Bendigo, Victoria; someone or something native to Bendigo

Dardanelles = (also known as the Strait of Gallipoli) the strait which connects the Sea of Marmara (north-west end of the strait) with the Aegean Sea (south-east end of the strait), the latter of which connects to the Mediterranean sea; it is bounded on its northern side by the Gallipoli peninsula and on its southern side by the mainland of Turkey; it is considered to be part of the continental boundary between Asia and Europe (thus separating Asian Turkey from European Turkey); it was the site of a military campaign during the First World War, when the Allied powers attacked the Gallipoli peninsula (part of Turkey) in 1915

Empire = in the context of early Australia, the British Empire

Gallipoli = the Gallipoli peninsula (in western Turkey), which is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey; it was the scene of heavy fighting during the Gallipoli Campaign (February 1915 to January 1916), during the First World War (1914-1918); running along the eastern coast of the Gallipoli peninsula is the Strait of Gallipoli, also known as the Dardanelles (or, the Dardanelles strait)

He = in a religious context, and capitalized, a reference to God or Jesus

Him = in a religious context, and capitalized, a reference to God or Jesus

howe’er = (vernacular) an archaic contraction of “however”

Huns = Germans; refers to Germans in general, or to the German military (especially around the time of World War One, 1914-1918)

Kaiser = Kaiser (Emperor) Wilhelm II (William II) was the head of the German Empire, from 15 June 1888 up until his abdication on 9 November 1918, two days prior to the armistice which ended World War One (however, his official “Statement of Abdication” was dated 28 November 1918)

Lion = Britain, or the British people (as the representative emblem of Britain is a lion)

McColl = James Hiers McColl (1844-1929), politician; a Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly (1886-1900), a Member of the House of Representatives (1901-1906), and a Senator (1907-1914); born in South Shields (County Durham, England) in 1844, died in Melbourne (Victoria) in 1929

nerve = the power of control, endurance, fortitude, stamina, strength; to give courage, steadiness, or strength to oneself; to steel oneself, to prepare for something hard or unpleasant

o’er = (archaic) over (pronounced the same as “oar”, “or”, and “ore”)

sallied = past tense of “sally”: a military attack or sortie against an enemy, especially by soldiers who are besieged or surrounded; to burst out, to rush forward; an outburst, a commencement or start of activity; to go on a journey (“sallied” is often used in conjunction with “forth”, especially in a military context, e.g. “they sallied forth from the castle”)

[Editor: Added a comma after “praise of them”; changed “ohwe’er” to “howe’er”; “and Hom” to “and Home.”; in the last chorus in the article, “Tramp, tram, tramp” to “Tramp, tramp, tramp”.]

Filed Under: articles, songs Tagged With: James McColl (1844-1929) (author), James McColl (1844-1929) (subject), song, songs patriotic, SourceTrove, World War One (1914-1918), year1915

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Australian flag, Kangaroo, Wattle, 100hThe Institute of Australian Culture
Heritage, history, and heroes. Literature, legends, and larrikins. Stories, songs, and sages.

Search this site

Featured books

The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, by Banjo Paterson A Book for Kids, by C. J. Dennis  The Bulletin Reciter: A Collection of Verses for Recitation from The Bulletin The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, by C. J. Dennis The Complete Inner History of the Kelly Gang and Their Pursuers, by J. J. Kenneally The Foundations of Culture in Australia, by P. R. Stephensen The Australian Crisis, by C. H. Kirmess Such Is Life, by Joseph Furphy
More books (full text)

Featured lists

Timeline of Australian history and culture
A list of significant Australiana
Significant events and commemorative dates
Australian slang
Books (full text)
Australian literature
Rock music and pop music (videos)
Folk music and bush music (videos)
Early music (videos)
Recommended poetry
Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
Australian explorers
Topics
Links

Featured posts

Advance Australia Fair: How the song became the Australian national anthem
Brian Cadd [music videos and biography]
Ned Kelly: Australian bushranger
Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]

Some Australian authors

E. J. Brady
John Le Gay Brereton
C. J. Dennis
Mary Hannay Foott
Joseph Furphy
Mary Gilmore
Charles Harpur
Grant Hervey
Lucy Everett Homfray
Rex Ingamells
Henry Kendall
“Kookaburra”
Henry Lawson
Jack Moses
“Dryblower” Murphy
John Shaw Neilson
John O’Brien (Patrick Joseph Hartigan)
“Banjo” Paterson
Marie E. J. Pitt
A. G. Stephens
P. R. Stephensen
Agnes L. Storrie (Agnes L. Kettlewell)

Recent Posts

  • To Australia [poem by Ruby Jean Stephenson, 18 November 1943]
  • [General news items] [4 April 1912]
  • [Australia has had more than its share of shipping disasters of late] [4 April 1912]
  • [Probably Professor Marshall Hall was right] [4 April 1912]
  • Gold-seekers of the Fifties [1 July 1899]

Top Posts & Pages

  • The Man from Snowy River [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • Taking His Chance [poem by Henry Lawson]
  • Our pipes [short story by Henry Lawson]
  • The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • Australian slang

Archives

Categories

Posts of note

The Bastard from the Bush [poem, circa 1900]
A Book for Kids [by C. J. Dennis, 1921]
Click Go the Shears [traditional Australian song, 1890s]
Core of My Heart [“My Country”, poem by Dorothea Mackellar, 24 October 1908]
Freedom on the Wallaby [poem by Henry Lawson, 16 May 1891]
The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]
Nationality [poem by Mary Gilmore, 12 May 1942]
The Newcastle song [music video, sung by Bob Hudson]
No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
Our pipes [short story by Henry Lawson]
Rommel’s comments on Australian soldiers [1941-1942]
Shooting the moon [short story by Henry Lawson]

Recent Comments

  • IAC on How M’Ginnis Went Missing [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • Stephen on How M’Ginnis Went Missing [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • IAC on The late Louisa Lawson [by George Black, 2 October 1920]
  • Percy Delouche on Freedom on the Wallaby [poem by Henry Lawson, 16 May 1891]
  • Phil on The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]

For Australia

Copyright © 2023 · Log in