On the Track

About the author:

Henry Lawson was born near Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia on 17 June 1867. Although he has since become Australia's most acclaimed writer, in his own lifetime his writing was often “on the side”—his “real” work being whatever he could find. His writing was frequently taken from memories of his childhood, especially at Pipeclay/Eurunderee. In his autobiography, he states that many of his characters were taken from the better class of diggers and bushmen he knew there. His experiences at this time deeply influenced his work, for it is interesting to note a number of descriptions and phrases that are identical in his autobiography and in his stories and poems. He died at Sydney, 2 September 1922. He is most famous for his short stories.

“On the Track” and “Over the Sliprails” were both published at Sydney in 1900, the prefaces being dated March and June respectively—and so, though printed separately, a combined edition was printed the same year (the two separate, complete works were simply put together in one binding); hence they are sometimes referred to as “On the Track and Over the Sliprails”.

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An incomplete Glossary of Australian terms and concepts which may prove helpful to understanding this book:

  Anniversary Day: Alluded to in the text, is now known as Australia
  Day.  It commemorates the establishment of the first English
  settlement in Australia, at Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), on 26
  January 1788.

  Billy: A kettle used for camp cooking, especially to boil water for
  tea.

  Cabbage-tree/Cabbage-tree hat: A wide-brimmed hat made with the
  leaves  of the cabbage tree palm (Livistona australis).  It was a
  common hat in early colonial days, and later became associated with
  patriotism.

  Gin: An aboriginal woman; use of the term is analogous to “squaw”
   in N. America.  May be considered derogatory in modern usage.

  Graft: Work; hard work.

  Humpy: (Aboriginal) A rough or temporary hut or shelter in the bush,
  especially one built from bark, branches, and the like. A gunyah,
  wurley, or mia-mia.

  Jackeroo/Jackaroo: At the time Lawson wrote, a Jackeroo was a “new
  chum”  or newcomer to Australia, who sought work on a station to
  gain experience. The term now applies to any young man working as a
  station hand. A female station hand is a Jillaroo.

  Jumbuck: A sheep.

  Larrikin: A hoodlum.

  Lollies: Candy, sweets.

  'Possum/Possum: In Australia, a class of marsupials that were
  originally mistaken for the American animal of the same name. They
  are not especially related to the possums of North and South
  America, other than being marsupials.

  Public/Pub.: The traditional pub. in Australia was a hotel  with a
  “public” bar—hence the name.  The modern pub has often (not always)
  dispensed with the lodging, and concentrated on the bar.

  Push: A group of people sharing something in common; Lawson uses the
  word  in an older and more particular sense, as a gang of violent
  city hoodlums.

  Ratty: Shabby, dilapidated; somewhat eccentric, perhaps even
  slightly mad.

  Selector: A free selector, a farmer who selected and settled land
  by lease or license from the government.

  Shout: To buy a round of drinks.

  Sliprails/slip-rails: movable rails, forming a section of fence,
  which can be taken down in lieu of a gate.

  Sly grog shop or shanty: An unlicensed bar or liquor-store,
  especially one selling cheap or poor-quality liquor.

  Squatter: A person who first settled on land without government
  permission,  and later continued by lease or license, generally to
  raise stock; a wealthy rural landowner.

  Station: A farm or ranch, especially one devoted to cattle or sheep.

  Stoush: Violence; to do violence to.

  Tea: In addition to the regular meaning, Tea can also mean  a light
  snack or a meal (i.e., where Tea is served). In particular, Morning
  Tea (about 10 AM) and Afternoon Tea (about 3 PM) are nothing more
  than a snack, but Evening Tea (about 6 PM) is a meal. When just
  “Tea” is used, it usually means the evening meal. Variant:  Tea-
  time.

  Tucker: Food.

  Also: a hint with the seasons—remember that the seasons are
  reversed  from those in the northern hemisphere, hence June may be
  hot, but December is even hotter.  Australia is at a lower latitude
  than the United States, so the winters are not harsh by US
  standards, and are not even mild in the north.  In fact, large parts
  of Australia are governed more by “dry” versus “wet” than by Spring-
  Summer-Fall-Winter.

(Alan Light, Monroe, North Carolina, March 1998.)