A squatter.
No, it was a 'jolly swagman'.
The Jolly Swagman in Waltzing Matilda
In the song "Waltzing Matilda," the swagman is the one who sleeps under the coolibah tree. He is a drifter who carries his belongings, or "swag," in a bag known as a "Matilda," and he meets a tragic end in the song.
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong "under the shade of a coolibah tree".
Andrew Barton Paterson, or A.B. Paterson is commonly called "Banjo Paterson". In 1885, Paterson began publishing his poetry in the Sydney edition of The Bulletin under the pseudonym of "The Banjo", the name of a favourite horse.
Andrew Barton Paterson's pen name was Banjo Paterson. He took the name of a favourite horse as the name under which he published his work.
William G R. Paterson has written: 'Cropping under war conditions'
Andrew Barton Paterson, or A.B. Paterson is commonly called "Banjo Paterson". In 1885, Paterson began publishing his poetry in the Sydney edition of The Bulletin under the pseudonym of "The Banjo", the name of a favourite horse.
J. R. Paterson has written: 'A study of electrical insulating elastomers for use under extreme conditions THESIS'
Well the a billabong is the blind or dead end of a river and a coolibah is any of several Australian gum trees, in which is abundant along river banks and having sickle shaped leaves and wrinkled, cracked bark. So, basically the meaning of that quote is that the time that this person values most is the time he/she spends under the shad of the sickle-shaped leaves of the billabong or blind or dead end river.
Andrew Barton Paterson adopted the pen name "Banjo" as a symbolic reference to a racehorse named "The Banjo" that was a family favorite. He wanted a unique and memorable pen name for his poetry and literary works.
In 1885, Andrew Barton Paterson began publishing his poetry in the Sydney edition of The Bulletin under the pseudonym of "The Banjo", the name of a favourite horse. His first poem is believed to be El Mahdi to the Australian Troops, published in 1885. Many other, less well-known poems followed. In 1890 Paterson wrote "The Man From Snowy River", a poem which caught the heart of the nation, and in 1895 a collection of his works was published under that name. For more information on Paterson's early poems, see the weblink below.
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson was an Australian poet, journalist, and author, best known for his iconic bush ballads and poems. He wrote famous works such as "Waltzing Matilda" and "The Man from Snowy River." Paterson is considered one of Australia's greatest literary figures.