"The Man from Snowy River" is a poem by Australian bush poet Banjo Paterson. It was first published in The Bulletin, an Australian news magazine, on 26th April 1890.
The poem tells the story of a horseback pursuit to recapture the colt of a prizewinning racehorse that escaped from its paddock and is living wild with the brumbies (wild horses) of the mountain ranges. Eventually the brumbies descend a seemingly impassably steep slope, at which point the assembled riders give up the pursuit, except the young hero, who spurs his pony down the "terrible descent" to catch the mob.
Two characters mentioned in the early part of the poem are featured in previous Paterson poems; "Clancy of the Overflow" and Harrison from "Old Pardon, Son of Reprieve".
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The River and the poem location
The Snowy River is indeed a real river in Australia, with its headwaters in the Snowy Mountains, the highest section of the Great Dividing Range near the easternmost part of the border between New South Wales and Victoria.
While the location of the ride in the poem is left unspecified, it clearly takes place somewhere along the Great Dividing Range.
The poem is set in the area of today's Burrinjuck Dam where Banjo helped round up brumbies as a child and later owned property. This is recorded in his selected works.
'The Man'
Corryong, a small town on the western side of the range, claims stockman Jack Riley (1841-1914) as the inspiration for the character, and like many other towns in the region uses the image of the character as part of the marketing to tourists. Riley was a hermit stockman employed by John Pearce of Greg Greg Station at Corryong to run cattle at "Tom Groggin" 60km upriver from Khancoban, New South Wales. Paterson is said (by Corryong legend) to have met Riley on at least two occasions.
There is a possibility that another exceptional and fearless rider, Charlie McKeahnie, who was born in 1868, might have been the inspiration for the poem, because of a dangerous riding feat in the Snowy River region in 1885, which Charlie McKeahnie took part in when he was only 17 [1][2]. Historian Neville Locker supports this theory, adding that a prior poem had been written about McKeahnie by bush poet Barcroft Boake and that the story had been recounted by a Mrs Hassle to a crowd that included Paterson.[3] Locker also offers as evidence a letter by McKeahnie's sister that discusses the ride and Paterson's hearing of the ride. McKeahnie was killed in a riding accident near Bredbo in 1895 and is buried in the Old Adaminaby cemetery, on the shores of Lake Eucumbene.
Jim, 'the Man'
In both the movies and the theatre musical, 'The Man' is given the name of Jim — however, the surname of 'The' Man differs between the films and the musical:
- In the movies "The Man from Snowy River" and "The Man from Snowy River II" (American title: "Return to Snowy River" and British title: "The Untamed"), 'The Man' is given the name Jim Craig (which reoccurs in the novel written by Elyne Mitchell).
- In the theatre musical, "The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular", 'The Man' is given the name Jim Ryan.
Matt, 'the Man'
- In the television version, "The Man from Snowy River" (American title: "Snowy River: The McGregor Saga"), 'The Man' is given the name Matt McGregor.
The historical context of the poem
The poem was written at a time in the 1880s and 1890s when Australia was developing a distinct identity as a nation. Though Australia was still a set of independent colonies under the final authority of Britain, and had not yet trod the path of nationhood, there was a distinct feeling that Australians needed to be united and become as one. Poems like "The Man from Snowy River" suggested to the many Australians at the time who read The Bulletin magazine of Sydney, that they shared a unique land and that the characters and heroes who inhabited this land had so much in common. Australians from all walks of life, be they from the country or the city ( see Clancy of the Overflow), looked to the bush for their mythology and heroic characters. They saw in the Man from Snowy River a hero whose bravery, adaptability and risk-taking could epitomise a new nation in the south. This new nation emerged as the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
Currency commemoration and tribute
AB 'Banjo' Paterson and "The Man From Snowy River" poem are commemorated on the Australian 10 dollar note [1]. The full text of the poem is printed several times in microprint as one of the note's security devices.
Recordings of the poem
- Slim Dusty recorded the poem with new music, to call attention to the "old bush ballads".
- Leonard Teale narrated the poem, which was recorded on audiotape
- Steve Bisley narrated the poem, in his role as Banjo Paterson, during the re-enactment of the poem in the 2002 musical theatre production The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular.
- The Australian folk band Wallis and Matilda set the poem to music on their album Pioneers.
- The Concert Band of the 2nd Military District (Australia) made a recording with the poem narrated by Tim Elliot, accompanied by an arrangement of the music from the 1982 film. (Reference YPRX2097)
See also
- The Man from Snowy River (1982 film) — (the 1982 film)
- The Man from Snowy River (1982 film) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
- The Man from Snowy River II — (the 1988 sequel film)
— (Australian title: "The Man from Snowy River II")
— (American title: "Return to Snowy River")
— (British title: "The Untamed") - The Man from Snowy River (1920 film)
- The Man from Snowy River (TV series)
— (Australian title: "Banjo Paterson's: The Man from Snowy River")
— (American title: "Snowy River: The McGregor Saga") - The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular
- The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular (Original Cast Recording)
- The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular (DVD)
- The Man from Snowy River (music)
- 1890 in poetry
- Adaminaby
References
- ^ Charlie McKeahnie (Boake)
- ^ Charlie McKeahnie (history pages - Hsnowyman)
- ^ Tim Holt. "The Man from Snowy River revealed," ABC Southeast New South Wales, 23 March 2004
External links
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- The Man From Snowy River - the Poem
- AB 'Banjo' Paterson Biographical Summary - Reserve Bank of Australia website
- The Man from Snowy River at Project Gutenberg
- About "The Man from Snowy River" - Australian Government website
- "The Man from Snowy River" - National Treatures - National Library of Australia (includes photo of a draft version of the poem)
- "The Man from Snowy River" - Mountain Man Graphics, Australia website
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