Editing Waltzing Matilda (section)

===Memories and miscellanea===
Some 40 years later, and not long before Christina died, Christina and Banjo each left different accounts of their recollection of the events surrounding the writing of "Waltzing Matilda". In the early 1930s, English musician Dr Thomas Wood worked his way around Australia as a music examiner and searched for Australian folk songs. He was captivated by "Waltzing Matilda". In 1931, the Argus newspaper reported him saying that 'Waltzing Matilda' was written on a moment's inspiration by Banjo Paterson, his sister composing the music equally spontaneously.<ref>Wood, Dr Thomas, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) / Fri 27 March 1931 / Page 9 / MUSIC IN AUSTRALIA</ref> In 1934, in his book "Cobbers", Wood wrote a brief, colourful, but very incomplete account of the composition of "Waltzing Matilda".<ref>Wood, Thomas. ''Cobbers''. Oxford University Press, London, 1934. P 234</ref> Christina carefully drafted a letter to him to set the record straight but did not date or send it. In it, Christina stated that when the first verse was written, she had travelled to Winton with her brothers and that she had heard the music played by a band at Warrnambool. Christina then added more information from 1895 through to the song's inclusion in the "Australasian Students Song Book", which was published in 1911. Christina had a comprehensive memory and was proud of her role in producing the song.<ref>Macpherson, Christina, Undated letter from Christina Macpherson to Dr Thomas Wood (author of Cobbers, 1934) (Item 1), circa 1935, Image 1, https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-224075521/view</ref> About the same time, for a talk on [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] radio, Paterson wrote that in 1894 the shearers staged a strike by way of expressing themselves, and Macpherson's shearing shed was burnt down, and a man was picked up dead. .... while resting for lunch or changing horses on our four-in-hand-journeys, Miss Macpherson, afterwards the wife of financial magnate, J McCall McCowan, used to play a little Scottish tune on a zither, and I put words to the tune and called it "Waltzing Matilda". These scanty details complement Christina's account but do not suggest that the song meant a lot to him. Paterson also attributed the playing of the music to the wrong Macpherson sister. Christina's sister Jean married McCall McCowan. Christina never married.<ref>Lindner, W Benjamin. Waltzing Matilda ─ Australia's Accidental Anthem. Boolarong Press. Tingalpa, Queensland, Australia. 2019. ISBN 9781925877076 pages 241, 242</ref> As time passed, Banjo's memories of his trip to Dagworth faded.

Some 30 years later again and also for a talk on ABC radio, Hugh Paterson, Banjo's son, wrote his recollection of what Banjo had told him about the role that the autoharp played in the composition of "Waltzing Matilda". When Christina played her tune derived from "Bonnie Wood of Craigielea", Banjo said, "I told her that I thought I could write some whimsical words to match the tune's appeal to me...... We were too far out in the 'never-never' for pianos. But Miss Macpherson played it for me on an autoharp while I wrote the words that seemed to me to express its whimsicality and dreaminess."<ref>"Banjo Paterson – A Portrait from Memory". A radio broadcast on ABC Radio, 17 February 1964.</ref>

For many years, it was believed that the song was first performed on 6 April 1895 by Sir Herbert Ramsay, 5th Bart., at the North Gregory Hotel in [[Winton, Queensland]]. The occasion was a banquet for the Premier of Queensland. This day is still celebrated as 'Waltzing Matilda Day'. In fact, Christina, Jean and Ewen Macpherson left Melbourne on the SS Wodonga on 1 June 1895 and the song was not written until probably late August. "Waltzing Matilda" was certainly not sung on 6 April 1895. Sir Herbert Ramsay did sing "Waltzing Matilda" when Bob Macpherson, Christina and Banjo visited Oondooroo Station, owned by the Ramsay family probably in the first week of September 1895. Herbert was dressed up as a swagman and his photo was taken.<ref>Lindner, W Benjamin. Waltzing Matilda ─ Australia's Accidental Anthem. Boolarong Press. Tingalpa, Queensland, Australia. 2019. ISBN 9781925877076 pages 158,181,124</ref>

Barrister, Trevor Monti, made a study of the transcript of the Coronial inquest into the death of Samuel Hoffmeister. In February 2010, [[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] reported his opinion that the death of Hoffmeister was more akin to a gangland assassination than to suicide.<ref name=abc-coldcase>{{cite web|title=Waltzing Matilda an old cold case|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-02-12/waltzing-matilda-an-old-cold-case/329506|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|access-date=20 January 2013|date=10 February 2010}}</ref>