answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Waltzing Matilda is important to Australians because it celebrates the triumph of the "underdog", the ultimate victory of the down-trodden against the law (as represented by the troopers).

Banjo Paterson based Waltzing Matilda on a true story. The central character is based on a man named Samuel "Frenchy" Hoffmeister. In September 1894, on the Dagworth sheep station north of Winton, some shearers were in a strike that turned violent. The strikers fired off their rifles and pistols in the air and then set fire to the woolshed at the Dagworth Homestead, killing over a hundred sheep. The owner of Dagworth Homestead and three policemen pursued Hoffmeister who, rather than be captured, shot and killed himself at a billabong.

At the time Paterson wrote the Ballad, Australia was in the grip of patriotic "Federation fever", and the feeling that Australia (the underdog) was about to shrug off the influence of "Mother England". Paterson was a patriot who represented the cause for Federation, and his song inspired Australians to fight for independence (no matter that full independence was not achieved until 1986).

More information about the story behind Waltzing Matilda can be found at the related link below.

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Why is Waltzing Matilda so important?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Music & Radio

Where was Waltzing Matilda established?

Waltzing Matilda is a poem and a song which was first performed at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, Queensland.


Is waltzing Matilda a ballad?

Waltzing Matilda is considered an old country Australian folk song and a bush ballad.


What is the national song of australia which is not the national anthem?

Waltzing Matilda is considered the non-official Australian anthem.


Is Waltzing Matilda a narrative poem?

Yes, "Waltzing Matilda" could be said to be a narrative poem as it tells a story in ballad form.


What does the word waltzing mean?

Once a jolly swagman sat beside the billabong, Under the shade of a coolibah tree,And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabongYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meWaltzing Matilda, waltzing MatildaYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meAnd he sang as he sat and waited by the billabongYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.Down came a jumbuck to drink beside the billabongUp jumped the swagman and seized him with gleeAnd he sang as he tucked jumbuck in his tuckerbagYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meWaltzing Matilda, waltzing MatildaYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meAnd he sang as he sat and waited by the billabongYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.Down came the stockman, riding on his thoroughbred,Down came the troopers, one, two, three."Where's the jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?You'll come a waltzing Matilda with meWaltzing Matilda, waltzing MatildaYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meAnd he sang as he sat and waited by the billabongYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.Up jumped the swagman and plunged into the billabong,"You'll never catch me alive," cried heAnd his ghost may be heard as you ride beside the billabong,You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.Second Version of Waltzing MatildaOnce a jolly swagman camped by a Billabong Under the shade of a Coolabah treeAnd he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"Down come a jumbuck to drink at the water holeUp jumped a swagman and grabbed him in gleeAnd he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker bag"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me'".Up rode the Squatter a riding his thoroughbredUp rode the Trooper - one, two, three"Where's that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?","You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me".But the swagman he up and jumped in the water holeDrowning himself by the Coolabah tree,And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the Billabong,"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"

Related questions

How many troopers ar in Waltzing Matilda?

There are 3 troopers in Waltzing Matilda.


What are the words to waltzing Matilda?

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,Under the shade of a Coolibah tree,And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boil,You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me,And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boilYou'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabongUp jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bagYou'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me,And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bagYou'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.Up rode the squatter mounted on his thorough-bredDown came the troopers One Two ThreeWhose that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bagYou'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.Waltzing Matilda Waltzing MatildaYou'll come a Waltzing Matilda with meWhose that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker-bagYou'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.Up jumped the swagman sprang in to the billabongYou'll never catch me alive said he,And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabongYou'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.Waltzing Matilda Waltzing MatildaYou'll come a Waltzing Matilda with meAnd his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabongYou'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.


Who was the prolific writer of waltzing Matilda?

The words to Waltzing Matilda were written by AB 'Banjo' Paterson.


Where was Waltzing Matilda established?

Waltzing Matilda is a poem and a song which was first performed at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, Queensland.


What does a tucker bag mean from Waltzing Matilda?

what dose a tucker bag mean from the song Waltzing Matilda


Who wrote the words to waltzing Matilda?

Its Banjo Paterson.But if you need to remember, well because Banjo is like something to do with music so you know now its got something to do with a song like Waltzing Matilda.


What is carried in the song Waltzing Matilda?

The swagman in Waltzing Matilda caries a swag, which is simply a bundle with all his possessions.


Is waltzing Matilda a ballad?

Waltzing Matilda is considered an old country Australian folk song and a bush ballad.


Did Andrew Barton Paterson write Waltzing Matilda?

Yes. Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson wrote Waltzing Matilda.


What is the national song of australia which is not the national anthem?

Waltzing Matilda is considered the non-official Australian anthem.


Is Waltzing Matilda a narrative poem?

Yes, "Waltzing Matilda" could be said to be a narrative poem as it tells a story in ballad form.


What does the word waltzing mean?

Once a jolly swagman sat beside the billabong, Under the shade of a coolibah tree,And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabongYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meWaltzing Matilda, waltzing MatildaYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meAnd he sang as he sat and waited by the billabongYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.Down came a jumbuck to drink beside the billabongUp jumped the swagman and seized him with gleeAnd he sang as he tucked jumbuck in his tuckerbagYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meWaltzing Matilda, waltzing MatildaYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meAnd he sang as he sat and waited by the billabongYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.Down came the stockman, riding on his thoroughbred,Down came the troopers, one, two, three."Where's the jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?You'll come a waltzing Matilda with meWaltzing Matilda, waltzing MatildaYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with meAnd he sang as he sat and waited by the billabongYou'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.Up jumped the swagman and plunged into the billabong,"You'll never catch me alive," cried heAnd his ghost may be heard as you ride beside the billabong,You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.Second Version of Waltzing MatildaOnce a jolly swagman camped by a Billabong Under the shade of a Coolabah treeAnd he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"Down come a jumbuck to drink at the water holeUp jumped a swagman and grabbed him in gleeAnd he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker bag"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me'".Up rode the Squatter a riding his thoroughbredUp rode the Trooper - one, two, three"Where's that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?","You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me".But the swagman he up and jumped in the water holeDrowning himself by the Coolabah tree,And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the Billabong,"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"