1. |
Train
05:17
|
|||
|
TRAIN . . . ©G Hayes 2002
* Chorus: Train, steaming down the line
Train, racing to be on time
Rolling in from Melbourne town
Hundreds of people, Hurst's Bridge bound
Train
It's finally coming, our very first train
Station waiting, as it's starting to rain
For today, is the opening of the Allwood line
Yes, today, is the opening of the Allwood line
Forgot to stop, at the Diamond Creek Station
Brass band playing, dignitaries waiting
For what? For WATT was at the Allwood station
Premier WATT, would open the line to this location
National anthem by 500 school kids
Speeches given, couldn't miss it for quid’s
Banner read - "Success to Allwood Railway"
Celebrations finish, with a children’s sports day
* Chorus
Bullock wagons, now a thing of the past
Fruit to the market, just got there so fast
Records say-“The most fruit shipped from one station”
Commonwealth record, an Allwood creation
Tourists now come, and the young folk seek work
Melbourne beckons, whether seamstress or clerk
On weekends, they come back to family and friends
Sunday nights, crowds cheer- the train steams off again
* Chorus
|
||||
2. |
Bourkes Tree
05:33
|
|||
|
BOURKE’S TREE. . . © G Hayes 2002
* Ch1: Hurst fired first, his aim was wild
Missed his Mark & then Bourke fired
* Ch2: Two men struggling, then both are shot,
One a hero, the other not
We can't know all that happened, on that day
Two men struggling, then one is dead
Henry Hurst, oh how he bled
Now Bourke lies wounded, tied to a wheel
Beneath Bourke’s Tree
A young boy of 12 left Ireland, by his Uncles hand
He was bound for Australia, the Great New Southern Land
There to work just like a slave, in the North of Victoria
At the Cattle Station he was told “Hard work will be good for 'ya”
With endless toil and daily strife, he left there seeking a better life
And turned his hand to petty thievery
Robert Cluskey was his family name, but he changed it to Bourke
A life of crime was now his lot, though he'd been prepared to work
Taught himself to read and write, it surely must be said
Quite a scholar, this vagabond, as he became quite well read
How he was caught is another tale, now it's off to Melbourne Gaol
To learn the art of Bush Ranging - for free.
* Ch1:
At Wellers Boarding House he stayed one night, one night in '66
Left early with no payment, just one of his many tricks
Headed North for Allwood, offered breakfast by Ellen Hurst
Who sat him at her table, though she should have checked him first
Though just a feed was on his mind, Fate would not be so kind
For she sent Abbott to fetch Henry Hurst
Henry arrived at Allwood, suspicion in his eyes
Was Cluskey an Excise Collector, or a policeman in disguise
Henry fired first but missed, was October 4th 1866
Bourke fired once his aim was poor, the two men struggled on the floor
A second shot from Bourke’s revolver, & the fight was nearly over
The bullet passed through Henry Hurst - into the thigh of Robert Bourke
Bourke was captured-Henry died, Bourke was hanged-though fairly tried
Some thought Bourke had been maligned, Petition failed,
Henry’s father signed, And to this day the story stressed
How Hurst the hero, was laid to rest
* Ch 1 & 2:
|
||||
3. |
Wattle Cafe
04:17
|
|||
|
WATTLE CAFE. . . . © G Hayes 2002
It's morning time in Hurstbridge
With the wattle trees in bloom
Tourist train arriving, so no more wattle soon
They'll strip the flowers and break the boughs
And load them on the train
Then head home, till Wattle Day comes again
On the other days in Hurstbridge
No need for social graces
For the Wattle Café was always filled
With honest laughing faces
For birthdays, weddings, parties
This was the place, no doubt
Good company and simple fare
And then the cry goes out. "Let's dance !"
. . Instrumental Break.
But changes are upon us, and the café is no more
Now we=re greeted by the pet shop sign above the door
And where the couples used to dance
The rabbits take the floor
For the once proud Wattle Café is no more
. . Instrumental Break.
But wait we’ve turned full circle, and the Café lives once more
Refurbished by a couple, just arrived from Irelands shore
The cracks found in the floorboards
Collected coins from days of old
What once was bought with brass & silver
Now requires gold
The historic Wattle Café now 5 Star Takeaway
Just a few more years >till we celebrate
Its Centenary Day.
. . Instrumental Playout.
|
||||
4. |
Wattle Day Celebration
03:26
|
|||
|
WATTLE DAY CELEBRATION. . . . © G Hayes 2004
* Chorus
Come and join our celebration
Wattle - the Emblem of our Nation
Come - join our celebration
It’s Wattle Day once more
The steam train pulled into the station
Just a few years after Federation
Doors flew open, the crowd poured out
Everywhere you could hear the shout
Grab some wattle, we=re at our destination!
* Chorus
Today the steam train pulls into the station
But now filled with a newer generation
It’s our festival filled with fun
Entertainment for everyone
That Wattle Day is our inspiration
* Chorus
|
||||
5. |
||||
|
HURSTBRIDGE POST OFFICE
- THROUGH THE YEARS. . . . © G Hayes 2003
The building started life in Amos Street -1918
Commissioned by Robert Harris of the Evelyn Observer
A second office, closer to the newly built rail station
A chance to expand his papers - circulation
This thriving printing business & the renamed Advertiser
Now reached the Shires of Eltham, Whittlesea & Heidelberg
Two more owners relocated, so the building was vacated
1935 - a new Post Office for the town
* Chorus:
Well, the mail must go through you know, the mail must go through
On dirt or tar, by foot or car, the mail must go through
The move was from Taylors, first two buildings in the town
The original Post Office and General Store for miles around
But now a new Postmistress - May Gillies Ford
Served the town for 20 years ‘til the Andrews came on board
Not just for moving letters, Telegraph then Phone Exchange
Three shifts working round the clock, connections, gossip, tears
The Night Sleeping Job gave a start to Elaine Martin
Then with Kay Knight on the postal run for eighteen years.
* Chorus:
Each location had a Post Office, a central contact point
More important in days gone by than the Church or sly-grog joint
With faster means of transport, many now have been shut down
By a simple bureaucratic memo, sent from town
The Reeves then the Maynards, now today it is Jane Lauber
But Australia Post in cutting costs, can barely reward her
So its office stationery and handmade gifts to order
Plus the café, cakes & lattes, will help to support her
* Chorus:
On dirt or tar, by foot or car - A familiar course for bike or horse.
A 100K daily hike - On Suzuki now, not motorbike
An authentic renovation - With timbers from the first creation
Original brick fireplace stands - To warm our behinds and hands
The mail must go through - the mail must go through
Two safes stolen a month ago - A burglary but now coffees flow
Please feel free to return the cash - all welcome at the opening bash
But the mail must go through - the mail must go through.
Still, the mail must go through - The mail must go through.
|
||||
6. |
Haley's Run To Allwood
03:33
|
|||
|
HALEYS RUN TO ALLWOOD. . . © G Hayes 2002
Wurundjeri Willem roamed this land, for thousands of years
Till the year 1841 - the realization of their fears
The Pound Bend Reserve established, the loss of their tribal lands
From Wurundjeri land to Haleys Run
Today it's Hurstbridge town
In that same year - a settler came, to take up some Crown land
Set up Allwood cattle run, near where Hurstbridge now stands
He'd followed the timber cutters, Cornelius Haley was his name
From Haleys Run to Allwood
Today it's Hurstbridge town
Henry Hurst sailed from Liverpool, in 1852
Built a bridge to cross the creek, then he managed Allwood too
But Henry's life soon ended, shot by bushranger, Robert Bourke
From Haleys Run to Allwood
Hurst’s Bridge to Hurstbridge town
The train arrived in 1912, to take the fruit away
Record shipping from Allwood Station, no more trips by dray
Dorset House was built by Gray and Hurst
General Store & Post Office now trade
From Haleys Run to Allwood
Today it's Hurstbridge town
Soon the market changed for local fruit, & along came World War1
Each family business was in decline, as they first lost father then son
The Depression, Allwood bankrupt, only 50 acres left
In 1924, Allwood no more, from then it was Hurstbridge town
From Haleys Run to Allwood,
Today it's Hurstbridge town
|
||||
7. |
The Apple Pickers Jig
01:47
|
|||
8. |
The Firebell Tree
07:06
|
|||
|
THE FIRE BELL TREE. . . © G Hayes 2002
Not a thing moves - nor even makes a sound
The land is bathed in stifling heat
It's been 6 months since the rains last came
Dust coats everything
Then the storm rolls in - thunder booms, lightning crackles
And a tiny shaft of flame - takes hold
Now the wind builds up & the flames begin to roll
Five minutes more and there's no stopping its deadly toll
But try we must, & to the tree we rush
To sound the bell
And call the folk to battle - this living hell
* Chorus:
Ring the bell, call everyone|
The fight is on once more
For when it’s over what is left
Has been worth fighting for.
What hope have we to halt the spread of snaking thirsty flame
Just one year since we last fought - now we battle once again
This is the way of life, for each exhausted weary band
It is and always has been - the cycle of this land
But finally the worst is past - the smoke hangs in the sky
The blackened stubble laughs at us – but there’s no time to cry
It’s time once more to start again, just like we have before
Plant the fruit, build a house - God is this what we came here for
But life is still much better, than we had before
* Chorus
|
||||
9. |
Places & Faces
04:14
|
|||
|
PLACES & FACES. . . . © Garry Hayes 2004
A chance to honor just a few of the many families,
who have created the character of this area
Wurundjeri William, - Taylor & Gray
Verso, Porter, Apted, Smith
Graham, Motschall & White
Allwood Nurseries, - Orchards & Orams Reef
Sutherlands Sawmill, - Red Shirt Gully
Lintons & Monash Bridge
Hurst & Haley. Amos, Marshall & Pill
Jones, Maynard,.Dornekamp, Porter
Saunders, Belot & Kyme
* Chorus:
Places & Faces of the County of Evelyn
Horton, Cracknell
Hildebrand, Coffey & Burke.
Nutfield, Hurstbridge, - Waterworks Trust
Smiths Gully, - Fergussons Paddock
Dunmoochin, - The Brown House
Flatrock & Cottlesbridge
Arthurs Creek, - Hotel de France
Anzac Avenue of Honour
* Chorus:
Brock & Saunders. Hale, O'Brien
Jones, Le Min. Hester, Ford
Stubley, Tucker & Pugh
Caledonia Diggings,
Community Bank, - St Andrews
Laceys Rd Co-op, - Kangaroo Ground
Dorset House & Mia Mia
* Chorus:
Jowett, Humphries. Andrews, Lawson
Kelly & Jenkins, Christian, Boyd
Buck & Chesterfield
Black Friday, Ash Wednesday.
Allwood Community House
Kingstown, Queenstown, The Diamond Creek
Floods & droughts & Wattle Glen.
* Chorus:
Places & Faces
|
||||
Garry Hayes Melbourne, Australia
Garry Hayes, recently won the Maldon Folk Festival's - 2016 Maldon Minstrel Award.
This award is based on live, acoustic
only performance of 3 original songs.
He was also a finalist in the 2003 Port Fairy Songwriting Award
Garry, a skilled and versatile guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, has performed extensively over many years, locally and at numerous music festivals in Victoria.
... more
If you like Garry Hayes, you may also like:
Scared Of You
by Laura Imbruglia
Gutsy rock & roll from Australian songwriter Laura Imbruglia with biting riffs and sneering vocals.
go to album
The Art Of Losing
by The Anchoress
The second release from Welsh artist The Anchoress is a devastating and powerful meditation on loss.
go to album
Introspective bedroom pop with a literary-narrative bent, touching the mundane horrors of everyday life.
go to album
Parque México
by Kevin Dickerson
Spoken word storytelling spun into a delicate web of acoustic guitar, from the Bay Area.
go to album
Everyone's Okay
by Kevin Dickerson
Brainy but equally heartfelt, this experimental pop record uses specific situations to get to universal truths.
go to album
Thoughtful and poetic folk with a Cosmic Americana flavor from the Brooklyn singer-songwriter.
go to album
Move To The Trees
by Winter McQuinn
Winter McQuinn mixes soft rock and psychedelic folk for a sound reminiscent of classic pop purveyors like Cut Worms and the Lemon Twigs.
go to album
