Banjo Paterson Tour, 12 november 2005

On Saturday 12th November, 44 Friends visited countryside which Andrew Barton (“Banjo”) Paterson knew as a boy.   His memories provided themes and material for many of the ballads thirty to fifty years later.  Morning tea at Banjo Paterson Park, Yass, allowed time to read passages of his poetry set out on plaques (The Geebung Polo Club, The Gundaroo Bullock (a koala), How Gilbert Died, Mulga Bill’s Bicycle, A Bushman’s Grave, The Man from Snowy River, Clancy of the Overflow, The Man from Ironbark, In the Droving Days, It’s Grand, The Mylora Elopement, The Last Parade). 

 

Friends at the current homestead at Illalong, original homestead was adjacent to crowd on left.  Photo courtesy of Keith and Helen Draper

 

Next, at  “Illalong” Station we were hosted by Rebecca and Michael Grogan (the Grogan family have lived in this district since the 1850s).   Michael showed us the magnificent wisteria planted by Rose, Banjo’s mother during the 1860s.  Whereas, there is no trace of the home in which Banjo lived as a boy we had time to wander down to the creek that Banjo loved as a boy and where he used to swim in summer.   Michael gave a talk about “Illalong”, including reference to Edmund Galley, the shepherd whom “Banjo” befriended as a boy.  Edmund was a “lifer” falsely accused of highway robbery and later pardoned as the result of an appeal by Banjo’s father.

 

Creek where Banjo loved to go as a boy.  Photo courtesy of John and Kay S Beagle

Trip organiser, Terry Birtles, discusses the history of the region with Michael Grogan.  Photo courtesy of John and Kay S Beagle

 

Arrival at Binalong, the two-pub town where Banjo once rode to school, allowed time to check out the Christmas Fair where we boosted the attendance and made some purchases before lunch at the Binalong Hotel (next door to the ancient Paterson’s Pub, built as a pisé building in the 1840s).  Julie Paterson had set up a lovely dinner for us, with a fine choice of wine.  As our guest speaker, “Bubbles” Garry (a direct descendant of the policeman who shot Gilbert) spoke about the history of Binalong and one of our party, John Van der Graaf, sang “Clancy of the Overflow”.  While some Friends explored other Binalong attractions such as the glass blower, many stayed just to talk and make stronger acquaintances in the dining room.

 

The General Store at Binalong. Photo courtesy of John and Kay S Beagle

 

Next, we visited the grave of “Flash” Johnny Gilbert, the bushranger attracted as a teenager to the Ben Hall gang.  We stopped for a moment outside the Binalong school.  Banjo has written about Moore, the schoolmaster, and the hard forms where he sat alongside juvenile relatives of Gilbert.  On the journey home we paused briefly by the Racecourse Paddock of “Bogolong” Station where Banjo once wrote about the Bogolong Races and where Pardon won the cup on a light saddle borrowed from Banjo’s pony.   The weather for the day could not have been better.