Thanks to everyone who put fingers to keyboards and sent us emails. Below is a selection of those that arrived in the inbox. If you have anything to say... even if it is just hello... please send it through to us at letters@mountaintracks.com.au



Dear Editor,

What a delightful weekend pressie! Issue 6 (Summer) has just arrived and I've already skimmed through it once (or twice) with frequent pauses at special spots. Absolutely wonderful! Unlike Macarthur, I shall be returning more than once tomorrow and Sunday.

Warmest best wishes,
Dan



Hi,

I am looking for the title/singer/writer of an old song about Tasmania that has a line in it similar to "I have a mania to live in Tasmania" .
Any help would be greatly appreciated

Neil
Waratah, NSW



I am currently reading a book on Breaker Morant called "Shoot Straight you Bastards written byNick Bleszynski and on page 105 it refers to the Bulliten magazine launching the careers of the "holy trinity" Banjo Patterson, Henry Lawson and Will Ogilvie. The first two are well known to me as they would be every Australian. But the third, Will Ogilvie is new to me. A search of the net by that name resulted in no recognition although the name "Ogilvie" returned some interesting sites both from the US and Scotland. Could you direct me to somewhere I could perhaps find more information on this gentleman.
Thank you

Bill

[Editor: Will Ogilvie was born in 1869 at Holefield House in Scotland, a property that his father leased from The Duke of Buccleuch. At the age of twenty he came out to Australia to "gain some colonial experience".He spent about 9 years here where he worked extensively in Australia as a drover and station manager. His poetry was published in the "Border Watch" Mt Gambier, and the "Bulletin" and R.M.Williams who published several books of his verse. He returned to Scotland in 1901 at the age of 32. He left a legacy of his bush poetry in Australia and died in 1963. His son George T.A. Ogilvie wrote his biography Balladist of Borders and Bush ISBN 0 952 4634 07

There is also a book on him by the late John Meredith: "Breaker's mate: Will Ogilvie in Australia", John Meredith, Kenthurst, NSW: Kangaroo Press, c1996

You can hear one of his Australian poems, How the Fire Queen Crossed the Swamp, and read a short biography an him at: http://www.visitoutbacknsw.com.au/legends/ogilvie.html There's also a copy there of his poem, Kelpies.

The ABC shop has a CD available of his work "Tribute to a Horseman - Poetry of Will Ogilvie" ($26.95)

There's a picture of him .
Here's his poem, The Riding Of The Rebel
Here's his poem, The March Of The Flood

The sites you came across on the Net may have been about him as he continued to write back in Scotland... particularly hunting poems. Interestingly, Will Ogilvie is responsible for the well known phrase, "back o' Bourke": He used it in his poem, At the Back O' Bourke:
eg.
"It's the bitterest land of sweat and sorrow
But if I were free I'd be off tomorrow
Out at the Back O' Bourke."]



Could somebody please shed some light on the origins (and or meaning) of the terms "the inside track" and "the outside track" as frequently used in Australian poetry, ballads and literature? I have heard some theories expressed as to the meaning of these terms but have not been able to gain a definitive answer.

Similarly can anyone recall the meaning of what 'Murrumbidgee Toast' was?

Vic



John Henry DREW lived in the Home Rule/Gulgong area in the second half of the 19th century. According to family tradition, he is supposed to have been mentioned by Henry Lawson in one of his poems (or possibly, short stories) as "old Harry Drew". Can anyone identify the source?

Cheers,
John



Hello everybody!

Thanks for a great web site!
I have actually recently returned from a 5 week walking trek in the Kimberley region of WA. I was wondering if there are any english language books on the crash of the German aviators plane the "Atlantis", and where i can purchase one from? I actually spent some time around the area of "seaplane bay" and would be keen to read about their ordeal .

Kind regards,
Darius

[Ed: Barbara.WINTER had a book publishedcalled Atlantis is Missing: A Gripping True Story of Survival in the Australian Wilderness. (Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1979). It was the account of the Bertram-Atlantis-Expedition, the 1932 pioneer flight across the Timor Sea, and subsequent plane crash and search for Hans Bertram and Adolph Klausmann. It was cited as a reference in the a references for the article in Issue 3 of Simply Australia, Strangers on the Shore]



Hello, Could you tell me if Ion Idriess book 'Lasseters last ride' is in print, and if so how can I obtain a copy here in Sydney. ,

Thank You
Janet

[Ed: I'm not aware of it still being in print but a seach of the bookstores online will turn up some used copies. Try Abebooks



Summer has come and gone and winter is upon us, but alas, no Winter Edition to read.
Love your work look forward to more.

Regards,
Ben



What an interesting publication and great articles.

Thank you,
Albert



Wow!
I've just spent several hours reading this issue and then going back over the archives. I've referred my whole family to it - it's one of the best reads on the 'net.

There's so much there - and my girls have learned a lot about their history and culture that I either never thought to tell them, or didn't know myself. I've asked to be added to the email list - please, pass my gratitude on to the team and tell them that they're doing a fantastic job. If there's anything I can do to support them, let me know - I'd be happy to do whatever I can for them.

Please tell me that you won't ever take the archives of-line!

Donny [Dianne]
Brisbane
[Ed: Thank you Donny! What a lovely letter... and you'll be pleased to know there are no plans to remove the archives... in fact, we have just expanded our sever space and plan to move to our "new home" before the next issue.]



Hi Gang,

Great Site, have subscribed. The Article about El Dorado was interesting to me; I have relatives living there. Many other articles of interest too. Looking forward to especially the old songs and lyrics.

Regards, Megs,
Nerang, Qld