[AT] My Turn/Matilda

[Bill Bruer]

For a possible explanation of the Aussie attitude, you might want to read 
_The Fatal Shore_ by Robert Hughes.  This is the historical account of 
Australia's founding as an English penal colony.  From 1788 to 1868 the 
entire continent was used as one big jail and the brutality of the system is 
just unbelievable.  Anarchy would have been freedom to those convicts.

Bill Bruer

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "charliehill" <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2009 8:08 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] My Turn/Matilda


It seems to me that most of the Australian film industry is built around
some sort of great catastrophy where a few (if any) survivors struggle in
anarchy.  I kind of enjoy those movies.  I've not seen _The Beach_.  I agree
it sounds rather grim.

Charlie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roy Morgan" <k1lky at earthlink.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 11:22 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] My Turn/Matilda



On Feb 6, 2009, at 3:51 PM, CEE VILL wrote:

>
> I cannot verify that, Roy.  My thoughts were with the Movie "On The
> Beach".  Waltzing Matilda (the song) played repeatedly during the
> movie.

Charlie and others,

Well, i seems that my info is not right on what Waltzing Matilda"
meant.  I did a little searching and found this:

At:
http://www.nla.gov.au/epubs/waltzingmatilda/3-Meanings.html
...
WALTZING MATILDA The act of carrying the ‘swag’ (an alternate
colloquial term is ‘humping the bluey’).

Matilda is an old Teutonic female name meaning ‘mighty battle maid’.
This may have informed the use of ‘Matilda’ as a slang term to mean a
de facto wife who accompanied a wanderer. In the Australian bush a
man’s swag was regarded as a kind of de facto wife, hence his
‘Matilda’. (Letter to Rt. Hon. Sir Winston Churchill, KG from Harry
Hastings Pearce, 19 February 1958. Harry Pearce Papers, NLA Manuscript
Collection, MS2765)
...

I had not seen the movie "On the Beach" though I've heard of it.
Sounds a bit grim.  I have seen the clip showing the wind blowing the
coke bottle near the telegraph key, I think.

Thanks to all.

Roy


Roy Morgan
k1lky at earthlink.net
529 Cobb St.
Groton NY, 13073






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