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@simplyaustralia.net



This forum has asked questions about the great buckjumping horse Dargin's Grey, at times wrongly recorded as Dargan's Grey. The terror was given its show name by its third owner Arthur Dargin. I was told many years ago that its "paddock name" was Misty. However, the horse was named after Arthur Dargin and as such the name Dargan should not be used. The poem on the forum tells that Jack Barron rode the four-legged Satan and this I very much doubt. If the poet was correct then the well known Jack Barron rode Skuthorpe's Dargin's Grey. Lance Skuthorpe named this grey horse in honour of the TRUE Dargin's Grey. Horsemen of the day told that Lance's grey was but a pig rooter and cow kicker. Lance admitted that his Dargin's Grey was an inferior horse to the real thing. It's is asked did Dargin's grey travel up to Qld? Both did. "Martini" ( Martin Breheny) the showman came to obtain the grey and his show was all about Qld. including Thursday Island.

I have only seen the one photograph, drawing I think of the grey. It was is 1963. I do not recall in what publication it was, and at the time I was not collecting too much. Getting about the country with a swag restricts that sort of thing. It was a good article and I have kicked myself in recent years for not collecting more in those days.

I trust that these few snippits help.
Jim McJannett.

[Ed: Jim has been a wonderful find. He has a wealth of information and we are fortunate that he is so willing to share it with our readers. There will be an article on Jim's research in future issues of Simply Australia, including his work on Dargin's Grey. Thanks Jim!]


Dear Editor,

As an old folkie of almost sixty summers, I would sincerely like to compliment your and your staff on the quality and presentation of information on Simply Australia. Especially entertained by the fine original tunes of Jim Low whom I met some years ago at Richmond folk club. A true gentleman and one who seems to hide his light under the proverbial bushel. Would you pass my congratulations to him and my thanks to all your team for being 'Simply Australian'.

Maureen



Dear Simply Australia,

I am passed middle age and for about 40 years have harboured a great love of Australian history, both a love and an active paticipant in the form of active on-going history. I have consulted several websites of interest and find yours very good indeed. Not only is it a site of much interest, it is edited and as such it is refreshing and not littered with spam and foul language. You are on a winner. Good luck to.

Kindest regards,
Jim.



Hello

I came across your website and article on Sally Sloane quite by accident. What a wonderful story. I am the 1st cousin twice removed of Sally's husband John Phillip Mountford. John's mother was the older sister of my great grandmother Ellen Doubtfire. I have now been able to put another small piece of our family history puzzle into place.

Regards
Alexandra





Hi to all at Simply Australia.

Thanks for the feedback on the ditty "There will always be an England." This time I am looking for wartime cartoons of Bluey and Curley for a display for old diggers. Have not been able to find any online so far and hoped that some reader may be able to help me. Copies could be emailed to me at iagrant@datafast.net.au, or photocopies, or CD-ROM could be posted to PO Box 433 Portland 3305. All costs associated will be gladly reimbursed.
Many thanks for your assistance,

regards
Iain J. Grant





Hi Jim,

First let me say I loved reading your article on Burke, and the song you wrote about his love interest, it gave me goose bumps, :-) Anyway my son is doing a school project on Burke and Wills, and was wondering if you could help me. I found infomation on Wills' parents and siblings, but cant seem to find the name of Burke's mother or any siblings. Any chance you would know of this infomation?

Any help on this query would be much appreciated.
thanks
Cheryl

[from Jim: Thanks for your email Cheryl, and kind words about the article and song (issue 5). I really appreciate that.You are quite right - details of Burke's background are pretty sparse in the literature in him. Here's a little bit of information that I hope will help your son with his project.

Burke was born into a family of the privileged Anglo-Irish Protestant land owning class. the O'Hara in his name comes from his mother (Ann O'hara). His father was James Hardiman Burke (1788 - 1854). He had 4 sisters and 2 brothers:

  • Fanny Maria (born about 1818)
  • Anne Celestine (b.circa 1831).
  • Elizabeth (b.about 1823 - 1866)
  • Hester Albenia (b. circa 1825 - 1866) (called Hessie)
  • John Hardiman (1819 - 1863)
  • James Thomas (1828-1854)
James was killed in the Crimean War. Apparently his death had quite an effect on Burke. Robert O'Hara's birth date is sometimes written as 1820 but I am sure 1821 is the right date. He died in 1861, so you can see some of his siblings survived him. Hessie, as far as I know, was the only one mentioned in his will. Like James, his elder brother John and father had military backgrounds serving in the British Army.]





Does anyone have the words of a poem from long ago, - WWII era, I believe, which started like this:--

He was only a stump-tailed poodle, he owned no pedigree,
He was born in a Libyan dust-storm, by an eyetie R.A.P.
The boys of the Company loved him, they treated him like a mate,
He shared their beer and biscuits, and everything else they ate......

That's all I can remember.

Yours aye.
Edna MacPherson



Dear Sir

I am trying to locate the words and music to a song my grandmother sang to me when I was a child. I don't know the name of the song or the composer, but the following words might help to identify it.

"We left old England years ago, my schoolmate Jack and I
bound for Australia far away our fortunes for to try.
We were men who willingly did toil at least so we were told
we'll soon build up our fortune and find heaps of glittering gold.
My mother called me to her side saying you take care of Jack,
I little knew the mournful news I'd tell when I came back."

I hope you might be able to identify the song.

Many thanks
Meralyn Fage