A tribute to Ted Egan

Ted Egan, Your Honour, we all say ‘Good onyer!’

The Top Half Folk Club has been providing entertainment during Open Days at Government House in Darwin for a few years now, and have had the pleasure of backing the Administrator of the NT, His Honour Ted Egan AO in a few of his songs on each occasion.

As this is the final year of his term as Administrator, one of the club's senior members Mr Tony Suttor was inspired to write this tribute, "The Ballad of Ted Egan", sung to the tune of Ted's song: Matt Savage.

Click here for photographs taken at Government House.
Click here for transcript of Enough Rope interview with Andrew Denton.
Click here for Ted Egan on Australia's race relations.
Click here for Wikipedia entry on Ted Egan.
Click here to visit www.tedegan.com.au

The Ballad of Ted Egan

A tribute by: Tony Suttor
Tune: Matt Savage by Ted Egan
Parody is in black, original lyrics in gray...

At the Big House in Darwin the word passed around:
At the six-mile in Wyndham the word passed around
Ted Egan, His Honour, was about to stand down.
Matt Savage, the boss drover, had just come to town
Four years in the Top Job, now it's time to move on
His plant's on the common, he's looking for men
From Resident in the Big House in Darwin.
'Cause he's taking a mob into Queensland.

He's a legend in the Territory, he's a man among men;
He's a legend in the outback; he's a man among men
Ted Egan, Public Servant, holds open house again.
Matt Savage, the boss drover, and he's riding again
Thousands of people have visited his home:
Two thousand store bullocks, wild ones at that:
Seven Gables - the Big House in Darwin.
That's the mob that he's taking into Queensland.

Chorus
Ted Egan, Your Honour, we all say 'Good onyer!'
Matt Savage, the boss drover, he'll take a mob over
Vice-Regal in the Big House in Darwin, aha!
Taking the bullocks to Queensland, aha!
Ted Egan, Your Honour, we all say 'Good onyer!'
Matt Savage, the boss drover, he'll take a mob over
Vice-Regal in the Big House in Darwin.
Taking the bullocks to Queensland.

Six of us singers, short ones and long,
Six of us ringers, with cigarette swags
Signed up by Ted Egan to sing all our songs.
Signed up by Matt Savage, and we've each got six nags.
We're all hung over but the Boss surely knows
The cook's all hung over but the boss drover knows
That we'll travel OK in the long run.
That he'll travel ok into Queensland.

Final night, tunes bright, songs carrying well
First night, stars bright, cattle travelling well;
Hear the jingle of the lagerphone and accordion swell.
Hear the jingle of the hobbles, hear the Condamine bell.
Sing a song as we watch them, make the buggers sing along;
Sing a song as we watch them, make the buggers lie down
Open Day at Seven Gables in Darwin.
Or they'll rush all the way into Queensland.

High on the headland overlooking Fort Hill
Meat for the pack bags as we pass through Wave Hill
There's a big crowd today so we're in for the kill.
There's a big Vestey's bullock, so we're in for the kill.
Sing the old songs with gusto, play the music with skill;
Grilled rib bones tonight, by the camp fire's light;
Open Day at the Big House in Darwin.
We'll be fit when we finally hit Queensland.

[SOFT]
But we're haunted by ghosts of musos before;
But we're haunted by ghosts on the Murranji Track
Dead fiddlers! Dead drummers! Curses galore!
Dead men! Dead bullocks! Curséd outback!
Lyrics dry-staging and the boss-singer's raging,
Cattle dry-staging and the boss drover's raging,
Hard times at the Big House in Darwin.
Hard times on the way into Queensland.

Oh, the session is dry, but at evening's end
Oh, the Murranji's dry, but at Newcastle Waters
VRDs¹ in the courtyard with our Vice-Regal friend.
There'll be dancing in the bar with old Bullwaddy's daughters
Then it's back in the saddle, off home we will rattle,
Then it's back in the saddle, keeping pushin' them cattle
After singing at the Big House in Darwin.
Got to take 'em right on into Queensland.

And when the singers are bushed, His Honour is strong;
And when the bullocks all rushed, lead by the big roan
Ted Egan leads the singing and the session goes on.
Matt Savage on the night horse, he turned 'em alone.
He's been in the Top Job for (it seems) forty years,
He's been on the road now for around forty years,
His Honour at Seven Gables in Darwin.
Boss drover on the stock routes to Queensland.

Four years in the Top Job at the Big House in town;
Four months on the road and the Tableland's bare
There's been heat, there's been dust, and there's been ups and downs
There's heat, and there's dust, and there's flies everywhere
But when we get to October his term will be over;
But when we get to Camooweal we won't give a damn and we'll
Vice Regal at Seven Gables in Darwin.
Go riding right on into Queensland.

Then back to Sinkatinny, down in Alice, so far:
And there's the railway, there's the siding, delivery Dajarra;
Quick as a flash he'll be into the bar o'
Quick as a flash we'll be into the bar o'
The pub for a blowout and a gutful of rum
The pub for a blowout and a gutful of rum
'Cause he's finished the Big Job in Darwin.
'Cause we just brought a mob into Queensland.

¹ VRDs = Vice-Regal Drinks :)