National Library of Australia
Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me? Swagies
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Living Traditions—Waltzing Matilda in Australia's Collections

For over 100 years ‘Waltzing Matilda’ has been passed on by word of mouth, in written forms, in sound recordings and other media. It has been represented and reinterpreted in countless artistic works, through music, film, television, dance and literature. The song appears in multiple genres and hundreds of locations—in parodies and paintings, in travel stories, in children's books, at sporting events and national parades. It has been used to commemorate Australia's participation in wars. In other words, the song has assumed a special status in the nation's cultural life.

The origins of the song, and its meaning, have been contested and argued by dozens of researchers, social interpreters and performers for more than 100 years. This complex history is represented in a variety of material that is held in our scattered national collections—manuscripts, printed music, audio and visual recordings, pictures, books, journals, correspondence and ephemera.

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