Editing Waltzing Matilda (section)

===Writing of the song===
[[File:Combo Waterhole-Alun Hoggett.jpg|thumb|[[Combo Waterhole]], thought to be the location that inspired the story of "Waltzing Matilda"]]
In 1895, [[Andrew Barton Paterson]] was living in Sydney, New South Wales. By day, he was a solicitor. By night he wrote his much-loved poetry and moonlighted as a freelance journalist under the pen name of "The Banjo". Banjo was the name of his favourite horse on his father's farm.<ref>{{Citation|last=Semmler|first=Clement|title=Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson (1864–1941)|work=Australian Dictionary of Biography|url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/paterson-andrew-barton-banjo-7972|access-date=2024-04-19|place=Canberra|publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University|language=en}}</ref> Paterson took a holiday from his day job, probably in early August. He made a journey of at least 5 days to visit Sarah Riley, his fiancée of 7 years, in Winton, central-western Queensland and to see how people lived on the enormous, remote sheep stations in the district.<ref>Lindner, W Benjamin. Waltzing Matilda ─ Australia's Accidental Anthem. Boolarong Press. Tingalpa, Queensland, Australia. 2019. ISBN 9781925877076 p 172</ref>

On arriving in Winton, Banjo attended a gathering where Christina Macpherson, Sarah's friend from school days in St Kilda, Melbourne, played some music to entertain those present. One tune caught Banjo's attention. In Christina's own words, "Mr Paterson asked me what it was – I could not tell him & he then said that that he thought that he could write some lines to it. He then and there wrote the first verse."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Christina Macpherson's unsent letter to Dr Thomas Wood|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-224075521|access-date=2024-04-19|via=Trove|language=en}}</ref> The rest of the song was written and rehearsed over a period of some three or four weeks in August and early September at a number of locations. Credible accounts exist of the later verses being written at [[Dagworth Station]], a [[Station (Australian agriculture)|sheep station]] 130{{Spaces}}km north-west of Winton in [[Central West Queensland]], owned by the Macpherson family. Paterson and others have left accounts of the song being written at Dick's Creek, en route to Winton from Dagworth Station. The song was then sung, with piano accompaniment, in a house in Winton (owned by members of the Riley family). There is photographic evidence of the song, at an advanced stage, being sung at Oondooroo Station, again with piano accompaniment.<ref>Lindner, W Benjamin. Waltzing Matilda ─ Australia's Accidental Anthem. Boolarong Press. Tingalpa, Queensland, Australia. 2019. ISBN 9781925877076 Chapter 10</ref> When no piano was available, the instrument that Christina played was a small, very early model of an instrument called a volkszither or akkordzither in Germany. In America, where it became very popular, it was called an [[autoharp]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Styles, Ivan|title=The true history of the autoharp|magazine=The Autoharp Quarterly|volume=3|date=April 1991|url=https://www.daigleharp.com/True_History_Of_The_Autoharp.html}}</ref><ref>May, Sydney. ''The Story of Waltzing Matilda''. W R Smith & Paterson PTY. LTD. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 1944. p. 16</ref><ref>Race, Paul. "Creek Don't Rise" homepage, https://creekdontrise.com/acoustic/index.htm#autoharp</ref>

On 24 April 1894, Christina had attended the annual [[Warrnambool]] [[Steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechase]] meeting in south western Victoria. The music at the meeting was provided by the Warrnambool Garrison Artillery Band. The first item played by the band was the quick march [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh-EhQHWfww "Craigielee"],<ref>May, Sydney. The Story of Waltzing Matilda. W R Smith & Paterson PTY. LTD. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 1955. Pages 30/31.</ref> composed by English-born Australian [[Thomas Bulch]], in or before 1891, using the pseudonym Godfrey Parker.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1891-09-17|title=No title|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204315792|access-date=2024-04-19|work=Ballarat Star}}</ref> "Craigielee" was a typical march with three strains. The first strain in the main section was based on "Thou Bonny Wood of Craigie Lee", composed by Glasgow musician [[James Barr (composer)|James Barr]], published in 1818 for [[Robert Tannahill]]'s poem "Thou Bonnie Wood o Craigielee" which was written prior to 1806.<ref name=semple>{{cite web|last=Semple|first=David|author-link=David Semple (antiquarian)|title=The Poems and Songs of Robert Tannahill: Songs – Bonnie Wood O Craigielee|url=http://www.grianpress.com/Tannahill/TANNAHILL%27S%20SONGS%203.htm|access-date=20 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419215727/http://www.grianpress.com/Tannahill/TANNAHILL%27S%20SONGS%203.htm|archive-date=19 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Christina had a good memory for songs and, when she had the opportunity, tried to play the first strain by ear on piano. Christina's memory was not perfect. The first strain of "Craigielee" had the musical form AABC.<ref>{{Cite web|title=07 Jun 2011 – Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me? – Archived Website|url=http://www.nla.gov.au/epubs/waltzingmatilda/5552-item5.html|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20110606173517/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/34755/20110606-1326/www.nla.gov.au/epubs/waltzingmatilda/5552-item5.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-06-06|access-date=2024-04-19|via=Trove|language=en}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Christina remembered the AAB section and put it into her tune as bars 1–12. For some reason she did not add the C section to her song as bars 13–16. To complete her tune, Christina repeated the second A section. Christina's tune had the musical form AABA. This is the musical form of "Waltzing Matilda" sung today.

When Christina arrived at Dagworth in June 1895 she found an autoharp with three or four chord bars, which belonged to the bookkeeper, John Tait Wilson.<ref>May, Sydney. The Story of Waltzing Matilda. W R Smith & Paterson PTY. LTD. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 1955. Page 69.</ref> As there was no piano at Dagworth, Christina learned to play this autoharp. Within seven weeks she was able to play the tune that she heard at Warrnambool, well enough to catch the attention of Banjo Paterson. During the rest of her stay at Dagworth she mastered it.<ref>May, Sydney. The Story of Waltzing Matilda. W R Smith & Paterson PTY. LTD. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 1944. Page 16.</ref>

About seven weeks after she arrived at Dagworth, Christina and her brothers went into Winton for a week or so. This coincided with the time that Banjo Paterson arrived to meet Sarah Riley. Banjo and Sarah were immediately invited to join the group returning to Dagworth Station. This was an irresistible temptation for a man venturing into the outback, the 'never-never' for the first time.  During his stay, Paterson would have seen the places, heard the stories and encountered the people who inspired the lyrics of the original "Waltzing Matilda".<ref>Macpherson, Christina. Unsent, undated letter to Dr Thomas Wood circa 1931. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20110606173517/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/34755/20110606-1326/www.nla.gov.au/epubs/waltzingmatilda/1-Orig-Creation.html</ref><ref>Lindner, W Benjamin. Waltzing Matilda – The original iteration, Trad&Now-Edition 156 page 24.</ref>

[[File:StateLibQld 1 50240 Troopers at Dagworth Station during the Shearer's Strike in 1894.jpg|right|thumb|Fortified temporary shearing shed at [[Dagworth Station]] following the 1894 arson of the main shed. The three troopers at left may be those referred to in "Waltzing Matilda", while the squatter was Bob Macpherson, fourth from right.]]