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The entertainment varied but we do know that novelty acts, circus, dancing girls, singers and German bands were all popular, We also know that major international artists like Lola Montez (and her Spider Dance) and Jenny Lind ('The Swedish Nightingale') toured extensively and caused near riots. American minstrel was also extremely popular. It was also popular in England and America. It was the sentimental ballad that ruled supreme in the mid 19th century. With so many pioneers and new settlers parted from home and country this was to be expected. One of the most popular was the 'Girl I Left Behind Me' and the tune entered the local tradition and was used for the carrier of some new compositions.

Dance music was also popular. The 'German bands' were almost a phenomenon as they oompa oompared their way around the bush. One wonders if they wore heavy lederhosen? There is a story, maybe a yarn, about the bushranger Fred ward 'Thunderbolt' bailing up a coach team carrying a German Band out to the New England district. The story explains how the bushranger was so intrigued he ordered the band to play a tune on the side of the road. He apologised for taking their money by adding he needed it so he could bet at the races. He promised that if he won he would leave their money at the post office in town. Legend has it he won and their money was waiting! Personally, I suspect it's a yarn, but a good one.

What were popular were the quadrilles and polkas and the popular dance music associated with them. These did reach the goldfields but, one imagines, the actual dances rarely did.

Sheet music, like the Topsy Quadrille, mostly came in from England although some sheets came in from America. Some sheets were also printed here if they had Australian references. There were several sheets published in the 1850s surrounding the subjects of rail and gold.

The following sample list of Australian songs using American tunes tracks the composer, provenance and approximated date written

BEN BOLT.
Written by Englishman Thomas Dunn, in 1842, with music by Nelson Neass, of Philadelphia, and first sung in America 1848.
Sam Holt or Old Black Alice or Ballad of Queensland This song was extremely popular throughout the Australian bush. It was published in the Australian Melodist circa 1880s and collected several in variants. The song is typical of the era, a story song. The most curious line in one of the Australian versions includes the lines:

And don't you remember Black Alice, Ben Bolt…..
The old mallee gin with the bone through her nose
And teeth like a Moreton Bay shark.

MY HOME IN TENNESSEE.
This was a popular American song was recorded by several country singers.

* Les Darcy or Death of Les Darcy
* Tattooed Lady (WW1 ditty)
* Down In The Old Front Line. (WW1 ditty)
* The Win The war Party. Via Edgar Ross. Quoted: Balls of Bob Menzies.

 

YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS/CAMOOWEAL RACES.
'J K' 1853 Civil War song.

* Nine Miles From Gundagai or Bill the Bullocky (Variant)
* This Side of Pinnaroo

 

CASEY JONES.
Wallace Saunders 1892

* Billy Sheahan
* Scab's hymn. Quoted Balls of Bob Menzies. Aka Blue Whiskers

 

JOHN BROWN'S BODY AKA BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC

* Brocklebank Engineers. Typical of the many Australian drinking ditties to use this tune.
* Douglas Social Credit. 1930s Depression ditty

 

TRAMP TRAMP TRAMP.
George F Root. 1962

* Wallaby Brigade
* Unity Boys. Attributed to G T Rilley in Shearer's Record circa 1890s.
* Song of the Tram Driver. Sydney Punch circa 1855

 

REDWINGS. AKA THERE ONCE WAS AN INDIAN MAID

* Workingmen Unite. 1ST Australian IWW songbook
* Redwings (bawdy parody)

 

CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE.
Lee &Walker. Philadelphia. 1868

* Salt Junk. Queenslander 1894

 

DARLING NELLY GRAY.
Benjamin Hanby. Ohio. 1856.

* Good Old Maranoa. Queenslander 1894
* Eumerella Shore``

 

DIXIE'S LAND (LOOK AWAY).
Daniel Emmett. Ohio/ circa 1861 in the musical 'Pocahontus', in New Orleans

* The Brolga's Laugh. The Queenslander 1894

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