The Pioneers: No Turning Back (Poem)

'Twas the Year of our Lord, in eighteen-fifty-three,

When three brothers left Plymouth to cross the wild sea.

Cornish miners from Towan Cross, Phillips their name,

With a wife each f'Australia left parents and hame.

Albemarle was their ship, and she danced on the waves,

But conditions were cramped, so some met their graves.

CHORUS:

Hi lads, ho lads, and pull with a will,

There's work to do and stomachs to fill.

Look out for your kin and for good Cousin Jack,

Once you're embarked there's no turning back.

From low crawling in mines to fierce tossing in ships

For the days, weeks and months, with deep prayers on their lips,

'Til at last the gold beaches of Port Phillip Bay

Raised their hopes, and with joy they all shouted, "Hooray!"

Soon with sea-rolling gait they all staggered ashore

Claiming boxes and trunks, expectations galore. CHORUS

The high prices in Melbourne town were a shock

But the tents and supplies and the tools were in stock,

And they soon had amassed all their gear on a cart

For the trek to the diggings was ready to start.

With misgivings, but hopes high, they slowly began

With a child and three wives and each with her man. CHORUS

Up the hills, down the valleys, dark hardships untold,

Set up tents, took them down, endured rain and the cold,

And so night after night, gusty day after day,

With strange creatures abroad, and no time to pray,

'Til at last up in Castlemaine they pitched their tents

Near the mine called United Ajax; made sense. CHORUS

What a struggle it was! For those first few years there -

Summer heat and the flies, or the chill winter air.

Now, young Emma waits Richard's small life-loving child

In that tent in the cold so far out in the wild;

On the first day of winter her labour began,

And the next week she died, but blessed their child-man. CHORUS

Helping hands came around, and a wet-nurse was found,

But our Richard did grieve her, then bought some ground.

Not again would it happen, that birth in a tent,

And in Campbell's Creek shortly, a home his intent.

In the day worked in mine and at night built his house,

And when all was complete, Richard found a new spouse. CHORUS

So she soon had a child, who was later my Gran,

And another three born who then died in a six-year span.

Then in twelve years more bore five sweet children alive:

Sarah, Lizzie and Fanny, and Willie survive,

With young Harry the last one to fill up the pew

Of the Wesleyan Church, built so solid and new. CHORUS

So as families grew, the three brothers worked hard

Growing vegies and fruit, cows and pigs in their yard.

Brother Philip Mine-Captain, a score in the team,

And grew rich as they mined gold and followed the seam.

Then two brothers invested, in land was their might,

And our Richard tried, too, but he bought without sight. CHORUS

Later, driving to Melbourne Town with oxen and cart,

With his family well-dressed, they were looking so smart,

Went our Richard to view what he'd purchase anew

At the corner of Collins 'n' Elizabeth, too.

But the cart to the axle in mud ran aground

So in anger he sold it for just seventy pound! CHORUS

So some fortunes went up, but in slumps they went down,

While Papa joined the band along Castlemaine Town,

And Mama taught the girls how to sew like a dream

To observe the Sabbath, and make butter from cream,

Until Great Grandpa Richard, he down a shaft fell,

Broke his back and was transported to heaven - or hell! O-o-o-oh!

CHORUS

Hi lads, ho lads, and pull with a will,

There's work to do and stomachs to fill.

Look out for you kin and for good Cousin Jack,

Once you're embarked, there's no turning back.

NOTE: I also wrote a tune for this, so it is a song as well.