Franks Interview Snowy

Batteries is an Australian company that supplies all types of batteries and off-grid kits. They aim to provide quality products at the best prices. Rondoil Motors and Eden Mazda are motor dealers known for their customer service and range of cars. Frank's Travel and Tourism Show talks about the Snowy Mountains and the Snowy Mountains Scheme, an engineering achievement that provides irrigation and renewable energy. Valerie's Poets' Hour features an interview with Anne Rutherford. The songs played on the show are about immigrants in the Snowy Mountains and an English woman struggling to adapt. Tarthra Tyres and Auto and Clark Business Advisors are sponsors of the radio station. Batteries are a proudly Australian company, and not only supply all types of batteries, but quality off-grid kits, solar pumps, and more to the southeast coast of New South Wales and northern Victoria. They supply all types of batteries and associated products, everything from marine, aeroplane, and automobile, through to trucks, RVs, caravans, golf carts, and smaller consumable batteries. Their aim is to provide quality products at the best possible prices. Give them a ring on 0436 460 460, or check out the website at www.ibsvega.com.au. Vega Independent Batteries, sponsor 93.7 HFM. Are you looking for a quality new or used car? You can't go past the South Coast's premium motor dealers, Rondoil Motors and Eden Mazda at 113 Princess Highway, Eden. They are dealers for Mazda, Isuzu, and Nissan, as well as having a great range of quality used cars and full workshop and parts facilities. Rondoil Motors and Eden Mazda are well known for their outstanding customer service and excellent workshops. Give them a call on 64 961 420, or check out the website at www.rondoilmotors.com.au. Rondoil Motors and Eden Mazda are sponsors of 93.7 HFM. And as usual this time, or as not quite usual, you're listening to Frank's Travel and Tourism Show. I slipped that interview in that I had with Barbara because I thought it was very, very important and I couldn't think of a better place to do it. You're listening to Frank's Travel and Tourism on HFM 93.7, where the time has just gone 12.30. In fact, it's about 12.32. My suggestion today for travellers relates to our magnificent snowy mountains that lay just two hours drive to the west of Bega. In past editions, I've explained their accessibility from the coast and their availability for a day trip. In the winter, they're available for ski trips or just letting the kids build a snowman. While this time of year, you could tick off one of your bucket list items. With moderate ease, you could take a chairlift to the top of the plateau and enjoy a scenic walk to the top of Kosciuszko. Put that in your achievement book. Fishermen typically visit our coast and could easily engage a challenge by returning to Melbourne via the Snowy Mountains Highway across the country until it meets the Hume Highway. This would afford the opportunity to top up your eskies with some of the magnificent trout that lurk in the colder waters of all the lakes up there. Today though, I would like to focus on the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Many people travel through the snowy and only sea lakes. In fact, they are blithely passing through one of the world's great engineering achievements. But it's mostly underground and out of sight. It's not like the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, or even our own Opera House. But it's just as great an achievement. In many ways, the usefulness and practicality make it even greater. It turned coastal rivers inland, providing vital irrigation to inland areas and an enormous boost to our renewable energy resources. And it's played a big part in keeping Australia on track with plenty of cheap electricity over the years. Time spent in Coomber's Centenary Park will give visitors a great appreciation of the scheme. Plaques and notice boards depict the whole layout of the works. A lengthy line of national flags, this is right along the main street, is dedicated to all the countries that provided mostly European manpower to build the dams and dig the tunnels. For more information, the local tourist centre is located within the park. Now, at 1pm today, I will be joined by Valerie for her Poets' Hour. And today will be a special interview, or special edition, as I interviewed Anne Rutherford. Anne was a member of the Settlers, and the Settlers were a brainchild of Ulic O'Boyle, a poet and balladeer who documented the workings and personalities that abounded on the sites dotted throughout the mountains. Here for You is one such song. This is a letter home to relatives and friends telling how great it is working in our mountains. This song is called Dear Hoffman. Dear Tony, she's a marvellous, to the weather she's a kind of crooked, the macaroni, she's a beauty, my cousin Gino, he's a good. So I try to tell you, Tony, don't make a naughty lane. Kiss the casa for me in Napoli, come and join the SMA. And Tony, pretty soon you'll see it. Your little cousin's big, you'll see it. We're immigrants all working for the SMA. Dear Meta, this may shock you, but I got a job today. It seems my Eton accent has impressed the SMA. I'm the perfect type, they told me, for a new appointment here. Do me gazing gumboots, handing out wet weather gear. Tell the painter, if you see him, I'll tip. I've applied for Aussie citizenship. We're immigrants all working for the SMA. Dear Hoffman in my workshop, I have got one vacancy. And you'll fit in as a titter, when you come to work for me. You remember Sergeant Schleicher, he started yesterday. And then you'll come soon, my old platoon, the Wednesday SMA. It's nausea, but it's not as bad, as that wintertime in Stuttgart. We're immigrants all working for the SMA. Dear Paddy, what a picnic, when I cross the Irish Sea. Forget the job in London, where the drink got hold of me. When I place in Piccadilly, and the next thing that I know, I wake up in a coma, that's a towel out in the snow. And every night it's like St. Patrick's Day, in the wet canteen here with the SMA. We're immigrants all working for the SMA. Hoffman, for the fifth time, I'm trying to explain. You volunteer for salt mines, but then you jump the drain. You hitchhike down through China, jump the junk for botany day. Grab a lift for graveyard shift on the 21st of May. Tell NASA, if you see him passing through, I can fix him up to save a few. We're immigrants all working for the SMA. Isn't that great? Now Ehrlich, he had that typical Irish disregard for authority that endears many of the Irish, and it seems to have permeated through our whole Aussie character and culture. In this next song, he's prepared to go to any length to catch the biggest trout in Newcombene, much to the frustration of the local fishing inspector. It's the biggest trout in Newcombene, the biggest trout in Newcombene, the biggest trout in Newcombene. With an esky that is full, and a line that packs a pull, to hook a shark about would strain it quite serene. I've got the know-how and the blues, and some tricks I shouldn't use to catch the biggest trout that swims in Newcombene. From that speedboat I will trawl, I'll do two knots, that's all, but I'll sweep the lake round Buckingdare ashore. While up at Coppermine I'll have springers in line with frogs a-dancing, the can-can by the score. Live fishing's not for me, and by fry and pan you'll see me lying flat by streams that flow from nearby hills. I hold a beer can to my lip, while my other fingers sniff toothpickles, some big fish's unsuspecting gills. There's a man called Charlie Bell, an inspector I hear tell, who's poisoned for a sportsman such as me. But he'll need a submarine, you sneak on me at Newcombene, for my eyes are perfect telescopically. I got a net, it's sort of neat, bought off a Russian whaling fleet, and I'll sling it in the bay at rushy play. It's even got a radar screen, which is anti-submarine, now that would really drive old Charlie Bell insane. And be it wrong or be it right, I got a case of gelignite, I was a powder monkey for the SMA. And when I blast I wreck that dam, if it's the case of go-go-dam, I want the biggest trout that swims in Newcombene, in Newcombene. Tarthra Tyres and Auto have been servicing motor vehicles in Tarthra since 1993. Ron, Paddy and Matt are proud supporters of Bega's community radio station. 93.7, it's FM. Clark Business Advisors is a locally owned and operated accounting firm with over 35 years experience. With an office in Marimbula, they provide a full range of accounting and business advisory services, which include taxation and compliance, business advisory and administration, payroll and bookkeeping, and accounting software solutions. Owned and operated by Stephen R. Clark, a second generation accountant who has been practising since 1983, Clark Business Advisors is a trusted name in the local and greater community. You can reach them on 6495 1320. Clark Business Advisors are a long time sponsor of 93.7 Edge FM, Bega Community Radio. As you would expect on the Snowy Mountains scheme, there is a grand mix of different nationalities. The following song refers to an English lady who's come out here with her husband and just can find no way to adapt to life in the Snowy Mountains and the rugged Australian countryside. Long gone home, long gone home What kind of fit was it that it, my husband Albert, to leave old Blighty a month ago to make me come and leave my mum at tea and crumpet so I could long pet up in the snow Oh, how I hate snowy mountains I'm no reckless pioneer I'm a long gone pom, pom, pom I'm not from, from, from some convict originality Long gone home, long gone home Show me that sun, show me that surf, show me that leisure That cheating Albert, oh, what a sin I'm out of sorts because his shorts for winter wearing He made his swearing of wombat skin Oh, let him be an Aussie Tarzan But let him hear this cry from me There's no flush, flush, flush in this bush, bush, bush And his Jane is calling to be free Long gone home, long gone home A shack of pinlets weathering, I'm always sneezing It's really freezing up in this snow He's up in camp with his heat rail and to get his tan right While I get frostbite, I've got to go For I want dear old Blackpool And he wants Aussie beer He loves that grog, grog, grog He loves that fog, fog, fog Brighton Rock and good old Wigan Pier Long gone home, long gone home Ten quid I paid to be conveyed to this side area This rough interior, who wants to tame? And there's no chance this wild romance a dream of saving While Albert's raving of two-up games He's disgraced to the British Empire He's gone native quite happily Digging snow, snow, snow While I'm so, so, so Unhappy in this penal colony Long gone home, long gone home Yes, and coming up after one o'clock, once Valerie's here, we'll be playing an interview with the lady that was the vocalist in that. That was Anne Robertson, who does a great job of interpretating a lot of Ulrich's lyrics. And if you listen to the lyrics, they are actually, or they actually stand up on their own as poetry, as we will be exploring after one o'clock. Next up, we've got a song called Treadbow Slop, and it refers to the fact that it didn't matter where you went in the Snowy Mountains, or on the Snowy Mountains worksites at least, it was wet underfoot, and it bogged up, and it really was a terrible slop. Slop, slop, let's slop here Slop, slop, let's slop here At Treadbow Slop Come on baby, let's burn some snow On these skis we've gotta go See that fun begin There's a ball on there tonight And the line up's always bright Down at the coach house end We'll be shussing on the track Of that slippy track and back Right down from the top We've got another mile to do Then baby I'm with you Doing the Treadbow Slop We'll skip the hogging and hissing We wouldn't dream of missing That slap, that kick, that hop We'll drop our fever song on the floor Now's the time to yell on For we're doing the Treadbow Slop Once a rebel Eskimo Got stranded in Treadbow Was told he couldn't stop Cause that pesky Eskimo Rub noses and you know It's not in the Treadbow Slop I'll park my parka at the door And I'll charge out on the floor That flop, it sends me mad Come on baby, let's engage In the dance that's all the rage In the harems of old Baghdad We'll skip the hogging and hissing We wouldn't dream of missing That slap, that kick, that hop We'll drop our fever song on the floor Now's the time to yell on For we're doing the Treadbow Slop Once a pretty musculite Practiced flopping all the night Never could it weary her Well they called it decadent To a salt mine she was sent Now they're slopping in Siberia You can see this dance is sure to be A hit in every nation So come along and slop Slop until you drop From this non-stop slop sensation Oh, slop, slop, let's slop, yeah Slop, slop, let's slop, yeah Slop, slop, slop, slop, slop Treadbow Slop, oh, slop, slop, slop And as the work went on It was all very well for a lot of the workers Particularly the imports Who were making really good money However, some of the locals Were lamenting the changes As you will hear here I'm sitting here in old Talbingo A shining through the trees Where the tumult river is winding down Down from the mountains through the old-time town Another day has just begun, my friend Another day has just begun The river's shining spot of silver The town is glittering like gold A lizard lying in the morning sun Like me, I guess, is having fun Lying in the morning sun, my friend Another day has just begun A rooster's sound in his river valley The birds around have heard the word Rabbits are stealing one by one Above the ground, I guess, they've found Another day has just begun, my friend Another day has just begun A girl goes by, her eyes are laughing Prettiest picture I've seen With the silver river and the town of gold You'd buy this picture, but it can't be sold For nature is the only one, my friend Contented with the morning sun Well, pretty soon we'll both be walking And talking in the morning sun We hold hands and you'll understand When I say one thing more, we're left undone So we kissed in the morning sun, my friend The rest of our days we're sure to spend Where topping always shining, humid river winding True love finding in the morning sun Daddy, there's overtime experts And you're the one with the gun-eyed gun So blast the cement in those cracks, sir On the stem We love you for gun-eyed and longer As a leading hand, more money and Ensuring your standing is stronger On the stem Ensuring your standing is stronger On the stem In this rain we cash Increasing wet Oh, supervisors in your youth Oh, grates on high Staying warm and dry While we're damping, we're stamping In water as deep as our boots Now, petty wash, oh, the white feather Though you're all wet, we mustn't let Completion be stopped by the weather On the stem Petty, and no, we don't threaten We commiserate, but indicate Severe disregard if you're wet On the stem Severe disregard if you're wet On the stem Pressure gun down We head for town Celebration End up stinky Come mornin' Without warnin' All signed is delivered A white-livered company pinky How fancy with conscience so weighty He drove volunteers to the town For beers that should move him With legal 1080 From all dams Your honor, the union is blushing To represent this malcontent Intent for catastrophe rushing On our dam Intent for catastrophe rushing On our dam Oh, justice shines Oh, faith benign Oh, somethin' up In slow stages So he wants us all To stay on the ball Miss no time and pick up Can't stick up the overtime wages Each company boss in Australia But one is missed Gets the blacklist with the details Of Pat and his failure On our dam Delicious it is when we step on People like Pat and the whole point is that When we trigger that black secret weapon He is dam, dam, dam, dam Dam, dam, dam, dam Dam, dam, dam, dam You might be familiar with coastal country sheds and garages But now you'll notice the name has changed to Fair Dinkum Builds Bega Valley A little change that goes a long way for our customers We'll always be your local experts When it comes to building commercial premises With flexible builds, quality material and great service And we're stepping things up even further For you, for keeps Search Fair Dinkum Builds today Or drop by and see us at 3 West Street, North Bega Fair Dinkum Builds Bega Valley is a longtime sponsor of 93.7 Edge FM Shakespeare asks, what's in a name? Well, in Bendigo Community Bank Panther and Bega's case Absolutely everything As their name suggests, they're a community bank Setting them apart from the big city banks Because they're owned by the community Run by the community, for the community So every dollar they make, they can back into the community Since housing net totals a whopping one million dollars and counting That's a million good reasons to bank with Bendigo Community Bank Panther and Bega And you don't need a 16th century playwright to tell you that Bendigo Bank is a proud sponsor of 93.7 Edge FM And of course, when you've got a workplace in an isolated space like that With all male workers It's inevitable that a house of ill repute will bob up Look Meg, who's that coming down the track? It's Michael and the pommy bloke He's got his tea jacket pulled together with a piece of rope Welcome to Brandy Mary's boys Come in, get warm We shiver in the night as cold winds blow Only an attempt of calico We've washed our boxes twice today So fair to me, we're here to play Three days we sat on whipstack mat And never got no grains We'll swing around on the high gland Well, this is a place to have a good swing sure enough, ain't it Rory and Meg? Sure is Brandy, and ain't we only honoured to have the boys to set those girls up at the Empire Sit down Michael Fly up the Empire, lads, we refuse to stick All the mud on the floor was one foot thick Forever it ends, that hairy face There weren't no women in that place River fling with brusque and fame So long, you tears and pains Let's settle for a little living on the high gland, please Call you naughty boys Meg, get the lads a large dropper of whisky, please And I'll have some champagne, it makes my eyes sparkle right pretty And tell me boys, how's luck on the flute in there? All's push and send T'wit's loose in luck You ain't gonna get no china man's luck You had three nappas in a row To Brandy, Mary's, you should go So fill each glass, let glad eyes pass From the gold to the bright champagne And shining red unto us Men from the wild land reclaimed We're staying here tonight, where no wind blows Silk is softer than calico Gold fever's bad as we've been cursed But this here fever, it's the worst in the Empire It's all in good time for me, dear Where shall I finish my champagne? Please, not worried if your eyes aren't sparkling, Meg Die, die, die, die, die, die We're staying here tonight, where no wind blows Silk is softer than calico Gold fever's bad as we've been cursed But this here fever, it's the worst in the Empire Die, die, die, die, die, die We ain't just sitting back, no It's time to start it out Are you going, daughter of man? Parsley, sage and celery and pine Remember me to one who lives there He will find a true love of mine Tell him to make me a candle too Parsley, sage and celery and pine Without the seeds or needlework Then he'll be a true love of mine Tell him to bind me and make love again Parsley, sage and celery and pine Between those walls where the sea strands Then he'll be a true love of mine Are you going, daughter of man? Parsley, sage and celery and pine Remember me to one who lives there He will find a true love of mine He will find a true love of mine Well, I almost said good morning Valerie But we're well into the afternoon now How are you this afternoon? Rust off my feet, Frank Rust off my feet I've been trying to organise my financial activities for my holiday Takes a long time Especially using the phone Yes, yes, I've been through all that And I can vouch for it It is difficult for anybody over Probably over about 35 to be truthful, Valerie Anyway, we'd best get on with the show We've got a lot to get through today We'll begin On today's show, Valerie and I would like to introduce you To one of Australia's greatest poets and balladeers Ehrlich O'Boyle Never heard of Ehrlich? It's a sad fact that while Henry Lawson, Dorothy and Mackellar Banjo Patterson are all legends of Australian literature Few are familiar with much of Ehrlich's works While Lawson, Mackellar and Patterson were rightfully recognised as our bush poets Ehrlich documented our snowy mountain scheme His ballads are finely crafted and presented with great flair and taste So who was this Ehrlich O'Boyle? He was Irish by birth and Irish by nature He hailed from Balligatadurran in the province of Connaught, Ireland Born in 1932 He finished school and spent seven years in the British Army And became qualified as a radiographer A skill that would provide invaluable in later life He also had a career as an amateur boxer in Britain and Canada Before migrating to Australia with his wife Anne and two children To him, Australia was the lucky country And he soon joined more than 100,000 workers from 30 different countries Working on the snowy mountain scheme Ehrlich spent five years using his radiography and other skills Caring for his fellow workers He never learnt music but he soon began dabbling in writing songs About life around him And eventually formed a folk group with wife Anne And a fellow snowy worker named Peter Barry A Pommy dozer driver Ehrlich became the settler Playing in canteens and nearby towns like Cooma, Joondabine and Tumut They released their first album, Songs of the Snowy Mountains in 1966 And it was immensely popular with songs like The Cooma Cavaliers And Blowering Dam One by one, before the sun Pours pale light upon the snow We go to work, our names you wouldn't know With a pelican, a pig and a metal banjo He said, I don't know what I'm doing He said, I sinned Brothers, so here I am Digging on the Blowering Dam Now here was one Who tried to run From his past in the city to the snow He worked just like the others But others came to know Now he's finished with his plan On his metal banjo He said, I sinned Brothers, so here I am Digging on the Blowering Dam He said, I lost Brothers, so here I am Digging on the Blowering Dam A shovel swings He swings it slow For a gambling man is not to know He lost to the one non-bandit His pocket couldn't stand it So now he tries both hands at That metal banjo He said, I lost Brothers, so here I am Digging on the Blowering Dam A silver hat Shines upon each man Who's foreman on the Blowering Dam In summer sun Or winter snow Down to the dam site we must go A silver hat waiting Each calculating The bonus that he's making From our metal banjo A silver hat Shines upon each man Who's foreman on the Blowering Dam But still I sing Brothers, although I am Digging on the Blowering Dam The sun goes down And we can go And we're weary And our arms are hanging low But when water starts flowing At least you will be knowing Of our mighty fine showing On our metal banjo But still I sing Brothers, although I am Digging on the Blowering Dam But still I sing Brothers, although I am Digging on the Blowering Dam The sun goes down And we can go And we're weary And our arms are hanging low But when water starts flowing At least you will be knowing Of our mighty fine showing On our metal banjo But still I sing Brothers, although I am Digging on the Blowering Dam The sun goes down And we can go And we're weary But still I sing Brothers, although I am Digging on the Blowering Dam But still I sing Brothers, although I am Digging on the Blowering Dam But still I sing Brothers, although I am Digging on the Blowering Dam But still I sing Brothers, although I am Digging on the Blowering Dam But still I sing Brothers, although I am And they are fabulous songs And I think Probably throughout Australia There should be a much greater recognition Of the settlers Well that's right To be so frank There was a chance initially That RCA was going to Um Try to sell them in Victoria But it was very territorial In those days We're looking at 60 years ago We were the people from New South Wales Yes And You had A husband You had a father You had a provider He was an entertainer He was a poet He was certainly some man to reckon with He certainly was He was I don't know if you heard Brendan Behan The Irish playwright He looks a lot like Brendan Behan In fact when we lived in London People used to come up and say Oh good day Brendan And Ulrich had to say I'm not Brendan Behan I'm Ulrich O'Boyle And would I be right In describing him as a wild Irishman? You'd be right On the money there Reading of him He certainly did live life to the full Well he was He was a wild Irish boy Yes he was And a wonderful poet A wonderful songwriter He certainly seemed to have a talent Which Came first The writing of the lyrics Or the music That came with it Now that's very interesting Because it varied a bit If you know the song Jindabyne I told Ulrich that The story of Jindabyne Because I met this old guy And he said you know They're going to flood the valley And this tree in the back garden here Was planted by my father etc etc So that night when Ulrich came home He was working in the tunnel at the time When he came home I said hey Ulrich The guy next door You know how sad he is About losing his Losing Jindabyne And that night Ulrich wrote those words And the next day He wrote the music that went with it Wow And Ulrich Had certainly a way With words He wrote the song overnight But Valerie's going to read the words Because it's actually Very great poetry If you hear it just as a poem Rather than as a song Which we will hear After Valerie's rendition Ok everybody So here we are Jindabyne farewell When I was young My father said to me Upon this spot I'm going to plant a tree Tall and strong And made of pine To mark the land That I've made mine And you'll make yours my boy In time to be But now Farewell old tree of mine They're going to flood the valley And the town Of Jindabyne I guess that it don't hurt To have my say For the young They'll laugh and say They'll dam the waters From these hills Even if an old man Feels there's thing Enough There's thing Along the good Lord Meant to stay Like Jindabyne Jindabyne Old home of mine They're going to flood the valley And the town Jindabyne When Jindabyne at last Becomes a lake My eyes will see the waves But where my heart Will take Will take a trip Beneath the surface blue Down the years Of memory true And this perhaps Will ease my yearning ache For Jindabyne A dream of mine When they flood The valley and the town Of Jindabyne My Jindabyne Jindabyne Jindabyne Yes And that in a way Was a bit of an exception Because most of his Words and music and songs Came from actual Experience working in the mine And Now the mountains In their winter snow And the snowy river Down below are whispering Farewell to Jindabyne And now Farewell Old home of mine They're going to flood The valley and the town Of Jindabyne When I was young My father said to me Upon this spot I'm going to plant a tree Tall and strong And made of pine To mark the land That I've made mine And you'll make yours my boy In time to be But now farewell Old tree of mine They're going to flood The valley and the town Of Jindabyne I guess that it don't hurt To have my say For the young They'll laugh and say I've had my day And they'll dam the waters From those hills Even if I feel that things around The good Lord meant to stay Like Jindabyne Old home of mine They're going to flood The valley and the town Of Jindabyne When Jindabyne At last becomes a lake My eyes will see The waves but my heart will take A trip beneath that surface blue Down the years Of memories true This perhaps will ease my yearning aches For Jindabyne A dream of mine When they flood the valley And the town of Jindabyne My Jindabyne Jindabyne Jindabyne Jindabyne And that in a way Was a bit of an exception because Most of his Words and music and songs Came from actual Experiences working in the mine And with his friendship With all the different nationalities Yeah that's absolutely I think he actually Intended it to be A sort of musical history Of the Snowy Scheme And that's what it ended up being You know And it seems to me That somewhere along the way In Australia We have lost our way Where There's so much conflict between Nationalities and there was no Evidence or inkling of that at all In any of his stories Well no that's true I mean a couple of them are very sad You know Olaf Grodin was an Actual friend of ours The Doge's driver man We were in deep sorrow About his death Yeah You know it changed the name You know I don't know the actual Name of the Spanish miner That died in the tunnel But Ulic called him Pedro in the song And he was there He put him on the local train And he did The bandaging and everything Even though he didn't save his life He came home that night Because he was on night shift in the tunnel He came home you know Early in the morning late at night And you know he was soaked in blood You know He just dropped his clothes at the door Of the bathroom He didn't say anything to me And I kind of looked at him and thought Oh gosh something terrible has happened And of course it had And then he wrote that song I think words and music came Simultaneously with that one Yes it was a sad event Valerie can you read that Ballad of Big Pedro for us And then we're going to have Anne Singing it aren't we Ballad of Big Pedro Ok so this is The Ballad of Big Pedro The mountains Wore their winter snow Like a fairy dress While deep below I worked and watched The tunnel grow With Pedro He taught me how to load The face with gelignite And how to pace my strength Against that Tunnel race Did Pedro You can build a machine As big as you can But you'll never push a tunnel Without a man We drilled and fired And the tunnel grew We sweated for the bonus stew We lived it up When the day was through With Pedro For miners drink and miners fight But he'd do both When he'd written a letter To his girl each night Would Pedro Come to me he wrote Carmella Carmella Come to me Come to me One day when we were Timbering Ring he said to me With a lazy grin Soon you'll know the tunnel And everything Pedro I turned around to crack a joke But the rocket cracked And the roof It broke Choked with dust I never spoke to Pedro Just as I was moving clear For the second time I tasted fear More rocks came crashing Very near to Pedro Run amigo The dust had cleared And I saw him lie Beneath that rock We watched him die Big Pedro Adios Big Pedro The big big Pedro Had to die Yes Had to die Someone screamed A face went white At the ghastly scene In that tunnel night As we raised the rock That cat crushed the light Of Pedro So we put him on the loco Train and headed For the sky again Five miles or more Of tunnel With dead Pedro You can build A machine as big as you can But you'll never Push a tunnel without a man Now these Were the men And men who tried But I saw more than one Who cried When they saw us On that loco ride With Pedro Few were there Who hadn't grown a little larger For having known Pedro The man whose manhood Stood alone Called Pedro Now Carmela waits In the land of Spain Waits to see her love again But Ships that sail Will sail in vain for Pedro Yes Carmela waits In the land of Spain Cries her tears But cries in vain For tears Won't drown the pain Of losing Pedro Wait for me She prays big Pedro Amore wait for me Wait for me Amore wait for me You know Spanish too The mountains wore The winter snow like a fairy dress While deep below I worked and watched the tunnel grow With Pedro He taught me how to load the base With gelignite And how to pace my strength Against that tunnel race Did Pedro You can build a machine as big as you can But you'll never push a tunnel Without a man We drilled and fired And the tunnel grew We sweated for the bonus view Pedro For minus drink and minus fight He'd do both and then he'd write A letter to his girl each night Would Pedro Come to me He wrote Carmela Carmela Come to me Come to me One day when we were a timber in ring He said to me With a lazy grin I drilled the tunnel and everything like Pedro I turned around to crack a joke But the rock it cracked And the roof it broke Choked with dust I never spoke To Pedro Just as I was moving clear For the second time I tasted fear More rocks came crashing Very near to Pedro Rondomigo I heard him cry The dust it cleared and I saw him lie Beneath that rock we watched him die Big Pedro Adios Big Pedro Big Pedro Had to die Yes had to die Someone screamed The face went white At the ghostly scene in the tunnel night As we raised the rock that crushed the life of Pedro So we put him on the local train Headed for the sky again And the tunnel grew We sweated for the bonus view He headed for the sky again Five miles or more of tunnel With dead Pedro You can build a machine as big as you can But you'll never push a tunnel Without a man Now these were men And men who tried But I saw more than one who cried When they saw us on that local ride With Pedro Few were there who hadn't grown A little larger for having known The man whose manhood stood alone A man called Pedro Now Carmela waits in the land of Spain Waits to see her love again But ships that sail will sail in vain For Pedro Yes Carmela Waits in the land of Spain Cries her tears but cries in vain For tears won't drown the pain of losing Pedro Wait for me She prays Big Pedro Amore Wait for me Wait for me Amore Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Amore Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me Wait for me So Kuma Cavaliers From Jindabyne Tunnel and around this island bend, we boys go to keep Kuma our money to spend and we'll buy you some beer we'll buy you some beer there if you happen to see 4 Italians, 3 Germans 2 Yugoslavs and me now we may not be diggers but we'll have you know we're digging the tunnels up here in the snow it's dark in that tunnel and the work she is rough but by the time it hits payday we've all had enough so we rush into Kuma and have us one spree 4 miners 3 fitters 2 chippies we pull up in Sharp Street by the Alpine Hotel if you've been to Kuma you'll know this place well and before we get inside our order rings out 4 vinos 3 schnapps 2 slivovats 1 stout well I guess we get noisy no harm did we mean oh Salomeo and Lily Marlene some Aussies went crook of course they didn't agree with 4 singing 3 marching 2 dancing and me now we may not be diggers but we'll have you know we're digging your tunnels up here in the snow the barman stood up then with a smile on his face he said you Europeans you're a flipping disgrace stop drinking those queer drinks if you want to stop here become integrated drink our Aussie beer so we switched onto schooners and threw the bar's cheers sang Waltzing Matilda and click go the shears for hours and hours without any cease till the sudden arrival of the Kuma police now we may not be diggers but we'll have you know we're regular swiggers up here in the snow in the furious moment the whole bar was cleared and no sign remained of those Aussies that cheered so the coppers locked up then four Italians three Germans two Yugoslavs and me now we're back in that tunnel as broke as can be for it cost us a fortune to bail ourselves free but before you start laughing let me make it clear it was worth it Australia for the sake of your beer now we may not be but we'll have you know we dig dig a beer up here in the snow very clever it certainly was very well written very poetic and it rhymes and the bonus is that he was able to very cleverly put all that to music for a great great song Ludwig van Ossing new Australian ballad one two three from Jindervine tunnel and the round island bend we boys go to Coombe for money to spend and we'll buy yours one beer there if you happen to see four Italians three Germans two Yugoslavs and me now we may not be diggers but we'll have you know we're digging the tunnels up here in the snow it's dark in that tunnel and the work here is rough by the time it hits high day we all have enough so we rush into Coombe to have us one spree four miners three producers two chippies and me come in McCallumitch we pull up in shop street by the Alpine Hotel if you've been to Coombe you know this place well and before we get inside four dinos three schnapps two slivovits one stout well I guess we got a noisy don't harm did we I mean singing your soul me oh and Lily Marlene some Aussies went a crooker cause they didn't agree with four singing three marching two dancing and me now we may not be diggers but we'll have you know we're digging your tunnels in the snow the barman stood up then with a snarl on his face he said you Europeans you're a flipping disgrace stop drinking those queer drinks if you want to stop here they come in to great and drink our Aussie beer so we switched on to spooners and to the bar's cheers sang while singing Matilda for hours and hours without any cease till the sudden arrival of the Coombe police now we may not be diggers but we'll have you know we're regular swiggers up here in the snow in a furious moment the whole bar was cleared and no sign remained of those Aussies that cheered so the coppers locked up for Italians, three Germans two Yugoslavs and me now we're back in that tunnel as broke as can be for it cost us a fortune to bail ourselves free but before you start laughing let me make it clear it was worth it Australia for the sake of your beer for we may not be diggers but we'll have you know we're digging your beer up here in the snow they must have been great times with the settlers when they were at their peak and it was as I've said before it's a big pity that they didn't make it in a bigger way across Australia and hopefully we'll record them a lot better than what they're getting at the moment well maybe yes I mean I think it would have been a bit disappointed that you know it wasn't a bit more widespread but we had such a following in the snowy I mean we sold 60,000 of the first record which was outrageous in those days yes it was more than any other songwriters and songs you know we beat quite a few of the well known songwriters and poets of the time and we're looking at the 60's here so 60,000 in the 60's was like a bit like a million really well he was bigger than the Beatles well I don't know about that maybe he'd love me saying that about him he would like that he would wander around the house singing people's songs and he used to tell me to shut up if you want to sing something sing my songs yeah but when we hear of Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson and Judas Wright for me to compare his works with them they are at least on that level yeah look thank you for saying that quite a few people who were writers and poets that we knew just felt that he was you know an Australian poet and that he should be recognised as that yeah most definitely and maybe at some stage down the line they could look at relaunching him or some of his music and putting it through something like the schools or somewhere where the recognition could be built a little yeah I guess so I mean I know that in Jindabyne the primary school always had to learn it's time to say goodbye to Jindabyne you know it's kind of a they probably don't do it now but certainly for 10 years yeah we were up there in the snowy the kids would be singing that and there'd be these choirs that sang in the big park in Cooma, I've forgotten the name but the big main park they'd always sing those songs yeah it was like in a small world in a small pond we were all quite big ducks yes and there would have been some great nights I imagine with a mad Irishman in the local pub too oh yeah he used to do mad things like he'd write a song and he'd only have it you know written in his scribbling writing on a piece of paper and he'd show it to someone in the pub and they'd say oh this is great and he'd say you can have it and I had to go around retrieving it you know I said that's the only copy we've got laughing you know the way you describe him is exactly the way I imagine him we've got a bit of Irish ancestry and spent some time over there with the Irish and it's it's a different world and they had a much freer outlook on life and they generally all enjoyed life didn't they? oh yeah you know the music in Ireland's wonderful isn't it you know you go to any pub and sooner or later someone's going to burst into song yeah and with that how were all the different nationalities pegged in together was there any particular groups that he liked or was it just he was that magnet that attracted everybody? I think when people used to say to him you know you're Irish he said no I'm a universal person and that really summed it up because he just took people at their face value he didn't see them as Greeks or Italians or Germans particularly they were just people you know yeah and did he still maintain any Irishness any Irish ties did he ever go back there? he did indeed and you know the family you know I knew them of course very well because I was married to him before we immigrated and he's got a beautiful Irish family and there's cousins still my children are friends still and relate to and correspond with cousins you know even his brothers children excuse me yeah and he had an Irish accent you know did he? well that doesn't actually come across in the songs unless he wanted to I don't think that's why he tries very hard to sing like Bing Crosby really well there's another angle altogether isn't there he was so pedantic about clarity and he used to have us all the rest of the band jumping you know if we were unclear in our diction right you recorded 6 albums over the years 3 3 main ones with RCA yeah and then another one with selection records yeah the one with selection records is called West of Coomba and that's not an RCA one ah yeah yeah I have got Shannon's book and I'll work my way through that oh great that would be really good yeah Shannon actually can listen to us so maybe we can do something with this interview so that you can hear it back as well that would be wonderful yeah have you got much more that you'd like to add about the man and his music I don't know if you know do you know about the statue I do yes I was doing some background information on my computer and I came across that the other day and that's sort of a fitting tribute to the man isn't it that's wonderful yeah and it sits there on the banks of the Jindabyne lake just below the township there and a lot of people go and look at it you know and talk about it so it's um yeah I think it's wonderful right yeah and you know you can contact the music as well Shannon's got a website I forgot what it's called anyway I think it's called songs of the snowy mountains or the settlers yes and after this interview maybe a lot of our listeners could access that if you could give them some information as to how to access it yeah it's a WWW thing yep the settlers sing songs of the snowy mountains I'm sure a lot of people would like to get hold of that and have a listen to it as well that's lovely that would be funny after all these years and the information I don't know if they still do but the information shop in Cooma always sold the records the tourist bureau yes that's right you know the skiers that come up they'd be going in there looking at you know where to go to ski or blah blah and they'd look around on the shelves and they'd see the record and sometimes they'd buy it as a souvenir of their trip you know so that kept us going for quite a long while as being in the public eye and and I'm not quite your age but I'm fairly close to it and when I look at that cover of the settlers album my god you were a good sort in those days yeah that's all gone Frank me too my hair's fallen out and my teeth are gone rotten but I'm still here well that's for those that are 85 in a couple of weeks yeah and sounding really fit and well how is your health? not too bad, had the rotten shingles but you know people should get vaccinated against that if they possibly can not nice it hurts a lot yeah alright then Ann I think that gives us plenty to work on thank you for your time today it's been great talking to you and we'll hopefully put together a good tribute for the man good on you Frank and thanks for the interview, I enjoyed it ok thank you and goodbye for now bye bye well what a lovely lady and what a life she's led it's hard to sum up Burleigh's contribution to literature without acknowledging his fellow band members in the settlers there was Ann of course but also were his good mates Peter Barry and Paul Davey who gave life to Ulic's words and music but I always come back to the prodigious talent of his words and music as demonstrated all his ballads can stand alone for their poetic beauty a talent that seems to come from Irish blood to wise my hope is that for some of you at least to revisit his work and recognize his talents I must thank his daughter Shannon for her assistance in my quest and Ann for her involvement in closing Burleigh will read Ulic's farewell from his great mate Paul Davey right Ulic farewell I have lost a mate of long time calling an old snowy man of concrete pouring as a first aid man as well he saw his share of hell on the mighty snowy mountain scheme rum and coke at night when it's freezing blistered winter's hands there is no easing it's over now old mate God has dealt his fate and it's your shout when we meet at the pearly gates I'll walk the lonely road without you take you back in time so long gone to the blast of gelling night the doses roar at night and the morning when another man's found gone hard times on that snowy mountain scheme let's rock on down the old roads together risk the snow and the stormy weather look for the wet canteen and the places you have been on the mighty snowy mountain scheme off times you get into old Cooma in Dodds Hotel you might have just a schooma if anyone told jokes about those Irish blokes it was hell to pay all day in Dodds Hotel Jindabyne farewell Cooma Cavaliers Dirt Shifters Big Construction Game Olef and Big Pedro Song of Blowering Dam Tumult Ponds and Bugtown and the Dozer Driver Man and that was written by Paul Davey in July 2011 yeah he died in 2011 oh that's when yeah right good so we'll have a word from our sponsors and come back to wrap up here we go Valerie Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music