Across the Western Plains

Across the Western Plains -Australian folk song First printed in the Bulletin in May 1916. Reworked from a sailor’s song ‘Noggin Boots’ or ‘Across the Western Ocean’ The song, or a related one, was also known as “All for Me Grog”was mentioned in the Tasmanian Newspaper the North West Post” of 20 Jul 1889. The Loyal Star of the Sea Lodge, M.U., I.O.O.F., celebrated their second annual banquet at Rockliffe’s Hotel, Ulverstone, on Wednesday evening. Bro Johnstone (Victoria) sang, “The rolling stone gathers no moss,” and, being re-called, “All for my grog.” This version from the singing of A.L.Lloyd who writes “Sung straight the song never seemed to me wildly exiting, but once I heard a drunken shearer named White sing it on a station near Bethungra NSW, in a way that would make the hair stand on end.”