by Robert Hillman and Hannah Pelka-Caven (The Raglins)

This is a re-imagining of traditional Australian ballad ‘The Old Palmer Song’.  We found the original ballad in prominent Australian folk collectors Pat Edwards and Kate Baker’s book ‘The Gold and Glory Boys: Australian History in Song 2’.  We took the song and composed some additional lyrics, and a new melody.   

The song tells the story of gold miners who headed to the Palmer River and Cooktown in Far North Queensland, presumably as part of the gold rush in the 1870s and 1880s.  

Composed in 2014.

Lyrics

Verse 1

The wind is fair and free my boys 

The wind is fair and free

The steamer’s course is for the north my boys 

And the Palmer we will see 

The Palmer we will see, my boys

And Cooktown’s muddy shore

Where I’ve been told the streets are paved with gold         

So let’s stay down South no more

Verse 2

So blow ye winds, blow high blow low

A digging we will go 

We’ll stay down South no more my boys 

So let the sailors row 

We’ll make a push for the brand new rush

to find that pot of gold       

for in spite of what I am told my boys

we’re off in search of gold 

Verse 3 

So let us make a move my lads 

The tide waits for no man                   

The rivers are deep and wide my boys, no bridges do them span

No bridges do them span, my boys

So we will have to swim    

But never fear, for the tales you hear,

The gold is sure to win 

Verse 4 

The wind is fair and free my boys 

The wind is fair and free

The steamer’s course is for the north my boys 

And the gold, well we will see