| Well I've ripped and dug out burrows on a sandy bulloak hill, Eradicating rabbits doesn't take a lot of skill But a boy born in the Mallee doesn't find 'em hard to kill No self-respecting farmer lets a rodent eat his wheat He'll shoot 'em and he'll skin 'em and he'll dress 'em up to eat But since the spread of mixo He's almost got 'em beat And I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee boy
|
The mallee tree is a small eucalyptus that spreads its branches below the earth's surface and emerges multi-trunked. There are many varieties and are found all over the southern half of Australia.
Mixamatosis was a sterility drug spread amongst rabbits in the 1950's which helped quell the plagues that frequently invaded farms and decimated crops. The rabbits, being profuse breeders, have almost become immune to it. |
| Where little town dogs howl at the morning train, Where a cocky makes a living on twelve inches of rain Where his woman provides and is rare to complain And I still love the smell of that sandy soil, Some say it's dusty, some say it's gold Cause it grows the sweetest fat lambs the markets ever sold And I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy, No I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy.
|
A term generally referring to a grain grower.
'The Mallee' is a region in the north of Victoria (named after the tree) where John was born. |
| Where you can lose an ear on duck opening day, Where slickers bring their shotguns from miles away, And shoot the life out of shags and swans that fly their way. Where a bloke grows as stocky as a Mallee bull, Where they come from miles around to see the tractor pull, When the paddocks are clean and seed silos are full, And I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy.
|
A derogatory term used by bush people to describe a city dweller.
A tug-of-war competition using thousands of horse power of brute force! |
| Well I've ripped and dug out burrows on a sandy bulloak hill, Eradicating rabbits doesn't take a lot of skill, And a boy born in the Mallee doesn't find 'em hard to kill. But they'll never be as rare as a Quandong tree My grandma made some jam for my brothers and me They're like the Mallee Fowl you hardly ever see But I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy.
|
Rough-barked tree with long wiry branches. A good shelter tree.
Small fruit bearing tree from the Mallee scrub. The fruit has a bitter sweet taste. |
| No I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy. No I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy. |