DESCRIPTION:
The Eureka Stockade is one of the great Australian stories, the legendary battle of the Australian gold miners (mostly Irish) rebelling against the licence fee imposed on them. They were fighting for their rights, though not of course for the rights of the Chinese miners or the aboriginals whose land they were tearing up.

This song is sometimes thought to be a traditional Australian ballad, as is "The Ballad of 1891", but both songs were actually carefully composed modern songs, written in 1951 by Helen Palmer, with Doreen Jacobs, who wrote the music.

You can read a fascinating account of the writing of these songs by Helen Palmer herself here:
http://members.optushome.com.au/spainter/Ballad.html

Lyrics and chords:
............ Am
They're leaving ship and station,

They're leaving bench and fold,
........ Em ....................... Dm
And pouring out from Melbourne
.................................... Am
To join the search for gold.

The face of town and country
.............................. Dm
Is changing every day,
...... Am
But rulers keep on ruling
...................... Em Am
The old colonial way.

"How can we work the diggings
And learn how fortune feels
If all the traps forever
Are yelping at our heels?"
"If you've enough," says Lalor,
"Of all their little games,
Then go and get your licence
And throw it on the flames!"

"The law is out to get us
And make us bow in fear.
They call us foreign rebels
Who'd plant the Charter here!"
"They may be right," says Lalor,
"But if they show their braid,
We'll stand our ground and hold it
Behind a bush stockade!"

It’s down with pick and shovel,
A rifle’s need now;
They come to raise a standard,
They come to make a vow.
There's not a flag in Europe
More lovely to behold,
Than floats above Eureka
Where diggers work the gold.

There's not a flag in Europe
More lovely to the eye,
Than is the blue and silver
Against a southern sky.
Here in the name of freedom,
Whatever be our loss,
We swear to stand together
Beneath the Southern Cross."

It is a Sunday morning.
The miner's camp is still;
Two hundred flashing redcoats
Come marching to the hill
Come marching up the gully
With muskets firing low;
And diggers wake from dreaming
To hear the bugle blow.

The wounded and the dying
Lie silent in the sun,
But change will not be halted
By any redcoats gun.
There's not a flag in Europe
More rousing to the will,
Than the flag of stars that flutters
Above Eureka Hill.


You can see a playlist of my Australian songs here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=PL0DE11C284435E7A2

You can see a playlist of my mining songs here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCF909DA14CE415DF

Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: https://raymondsfolkpage.wordpress.com