Great Southern Land

We sailed across the blue-green seas

To this Continent dry and blistering hot

‘Neath the light of the starry Southern Cross

Where the Eucalyptus trees lose their leaves not

We came to seek our fortune

It was waiting for us here

We toiled the hard arid soil

And tried to grow our daily meal

We carried on ship a few local sheep

Those which survived the journey we did keep

And so began the tradition of stock farming

Which kept us all from the threat of starving

We left families behind in England

And started new ties here in good time

Children came one to six

But we lost three - the devil’s pick

Our sheep stock grew and we sheared wool

We chased off the grey and big red kangaroos

Since grass was scarce and often sun scorched

And there was little water when nature took its course

Droughts came and went over the years

There were floods on our land which brought tears

We learned to survive each day with little at hand

Why did we not learn from the Natives of this land?

The sun does rise and set every day

It holds no grudges against man or beast

We lived in harmony in this Great Southern Land

Thankful for the fortunate life we sailed here to seek

© Copyright Maria D'Alessandro 2012. All Rights Reserved.