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Thomas Wood and the internationalisation of ‘Waltzing Matilda’

Thomas Wood (1892–1950) was a freelance English composer and writer, mostly known for his choral compositions such as part-songs, cantatas and settings of folk or popular tunes, including ‘Waltzing Matilda: An Australian Song’. He became interested in the song while in Australia from 1930 to 1932 as an examiner for the Royal School of Music. During his time in the country he travelled extensively, including to Winton in Queensland. After this trip, he published Cobbers: A Personal Record of a Journey from Essex in England, to Australia, Tasmania and Some of the Reefs in the Coral Sea, Made in the Years 1930, 1931, and 1932 (London: Oxford University Press for Humphrey Milford, 1934). In his chapter on Queensland, Wood records his visit to Winton, and in particular his conversation with the local hotel manager in the lounge of the North Gregory Hotel (view image):

[Mr Shanahan] was the hotel manager and more—the magistrate and mayor. And he liked folksongs. This gave us common ground at the start. We mourned together that there were no folk-songs in Australia.

The only Australian song, I said, that had the right sort of smack was ‘Waltzing Matilda’. Did he know it? Did he not! It was written in this very town; sung, for the first time, in this very room which had seen the aboriginal reunion the night before.

Yes. Banjo Paterson used to come and stay with old Robert McPherson [sic], out at Dagworth Station, years ago. They were driving into Winton one day, in the buggy, along with McPherson’s sister and Jack Lawton, the drover. He’s told me the tale many a time. On the way they passed a man carrying his swag. ‘That’s what we call “Waltzing Matilda” in these parts,’ said McPherson; ‘and Banjo Paterson was so struck with the phrase that he got a piece of paper and wrote the verses there and then. When they got to Winton, his [McPherson’s] sister, who was a bit of a musician, wrote the tune; and they all sang it that night.’

‘And a thundering good song it is,’ I said.

‘Do you think so?’ he asked.

‘I’m sure,’ said I. ‘Goodenough to be the unofficial national anthem of Australia, as the Border sings “John Peel”.’

Here it is. Judge for yourself!

Despite its factual inaccuracies, Wood’s story captures the excitement of his discovery of the song’s history and his sense of joy at discovering its ‘birthplace’ at Winton. It is clear that he already knew the song, probably from oral sources of the Marie Cowan version of the tune, but he has here included his own notated transcription and arrangement of the song, perhaps merely to make the point about its quality as a folksong (‘judge for yourself!’). He evened out the rhythm, created a rich piano accompaniment and harmonised it in his own distinctly personal way, creating an identifiable ‘Thomas Wood’ version.

So, the first international publication of the song was courtesy of a travel book! After the success of his book, his version, and his many subsequent arrangements for various combinations of voices and instruments, were published by Oxford University Press (view image). These became the basis for the song’s first wave of international popularity and were regularly used by schools, piano and voice classes, glee clubs, choral societies and orchestras. Thomas Wood, therefore, reaped the credit for making the song a ‘hit’ outside Australia and earned substantial royalties in the process. The Mirror in Sydney reported in February 1971, ‘The widow of the musician [Wood] who made ‘Waltzing Matilda’ a hit left a personal estate valued at $799,835’ (view image).

The popular Australian baritone, Peter Dawson, performed and recorded Wood’s orchestral arrangement of the song on 3 March 1938, with orchestra and accompanying chorus (listen to audio). Twenty reproductions later, including releases in the USA and Canada, it had become one of the world’s ten most recorded songs.

The Queensland version >

 

 

 

Map of Thomas Wood’s travels in Australia, 1930–1932

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Thomas Wood's 'Cobbers'

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Thomas Wood’s piano arrangement of Marie Cowan’s setting of ‘Waltzing Matilda’

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Peter Dawson sings 'Waltzing Matilda'

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