The Background

Waltzing Matilda was originally written in Western Queensland during January of 1895 by Banjo Paterson and Christina Macpherson.

During which time Banjo and Christina became romantically involved resulting in Paterson breaking off his engagement with Sarah Riley. (Christina's friend)

Whilst the burning down of the Dagworth shed and the death of Hoffmeister were incidents which prompted Paterson to write ‘Waltzing Matilda', he did not simply stumble on an isolated incident on a remote little billabong in western Queensland.

Banjo Paterson was living in Sydney during 1894 and like many other people in capital cities along the east coast of Australia would have thought the shearers' strike in the back-country was verging on civil war. During the weeks preceding the incident at Dagworth station, Sydney newspapers were awash with headlines of violence and arson occurring daily in the back country.

Then he finds himself at Dagworth station, where the shearing shed was burnt down in a violent gun battle, one hundred and forty sheep were burnt to death, a swagman was found dead by a billabong by the squatter and three policemen, and a possible cover up of the swagman's death by verdict of suicide.

There and then, he writes a song about a dead sheep, a swagman, a squatter, three policemen and an unexplained suicide. Surely it is not too much to think Paterson, the poet, solicitor and social commentator, used these events to write the verses of ‘Waltzing Matilda'. It's absurd to think anything else.

And at Dagworth station, amidst this turmoil of one of Australia's most volatile socio-political confrontations, Banjo Paterson fell in love with the young and attractive Christina Macpherson, a woman he could not have. She played for him a ‘catchy provocative whimsical tune', arousing his creative senses.

And ... Australia's unofficial national anthem was conceived. ‘Waltzing Matilda'!

And his ghost may be heard.