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Versions

The Christina Macpherson and Banjo Paterson version was performed frequently after its composition and was absorbed into oral tradition—meaning that as more people learned the song by ear, Paterson and Macpherson were less frequently linked to the song. This is perhaps why ‘Waltzing Matilda’ is often referred to as a folk song.

Ask any five people who wrote the song, and you will get answers like these: ‘It’s a German folk song’, ‘Banjo Paterson wrote it’, ‘It’s an old English song with new words’, ‘No-one wrote it, it’s an Australian folksong’, or ‘A woman in Queensland wrote it’. Each of these answers holds an element of truth.

Before the two Christina Macpherson manuscripts (discovered in 1970) were recognised as the original creation, other versions of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ appeared in print or through oral traditions from the beginning of the twentieth century and began to acquire status as ‘originals’.

Confusingly, there are three main streams of the ‘Waltzing Matilda’ song, each with its own history, related versions and status. These may be loosely described as:

  • the Macpherson/Paterson version, based on the 1895 song passed down orally and in manuscript format;
  • the mainstream, popular version of the song, derived from the edition that first appeared in print in an arrangement by Marie Cowan (c.1903). This varies from both the original Macpherson/Paterson tune and words;
  • a third, oral tradition, loosely referred to as the Queensland version, which uses a different tune with, essentially, the Paterson lyrics.

Macpherson/Paterson version >

 

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