The Wild Colonial Boy – a ballad

The Ballad

The Bushrangers Flight by J J Blundell

There was a Wild Colonial Boy, Jack Doolan was his name,
Of poor but honest parents he was born in Castlemaine,
He was his father’s only hope, his mother’s pride and joy,
And dearly did his parents love the Wild Colonial Boy.

At the early age of 16 years, he left his father’s home,
And through Australia’s sunny climes a bushranger did roam,
He robbed the wealthy squatters, their flocks he did destroy,
And a terror to Australia was the Wild Colonial Boy.

Chorus
So come along, my hearties, we’ll roam the mountain side,
Together we will plunder, together we will ride,
We’ll scour along the valleys and gallop o’er the plains,
For we scorn to live in slavery, bound down with iron chains.

In ‘sixty-one, this daring youth commenced his bold career,
With a heart that knew no danger, no foeman did he fear,
He stuck up Beechworth’s mailcoach and he robbed Judge MacEvoy,
Who, trembling cold, gave up his gold to the Wild Colonial Boy.

One day, as he was riding the mountainside along,
A-listening to the kookaburra’s pleasant laughing song,
He spied three mounted troopers: Davis, Kelly and Fitzroy,
With a warrant for the capture of the Wild Colonial Boy.

[Repeat chorus.]

“Surrender now, Jack Doolan, you see there’s three to one,
Surrender now, Jack Doolan, you daring highwayman!”
Jack drew a pistol from his belt and spun it like a toy,
“I’ll fight but not surrender,” cried the Wild Colonial Boy.

He fired at trooper Kelly and he brought him to the ground,
And, in return from Davis, received a mortal wound,
All shattered through the jaw he lay, still firing at Fitzroy,
And that’s the way they captured him, the Wild Colonial Boy.

The Real Jack Doolan ages 15 – (Credit: Public Records Office, Melbourne)

You can hear the ballad sung: The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makam  

A short video from the movie – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THxoFHkq3nU

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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