The Ringer Remembers
Written by Bernie Walker   Copyright All Rights Reserved
On the face of an old time shearer, as he remembers long ago,
There's a smile as he recalls his long free flowing blow,
How he shore the big merinos and made those ringers go
In the heat of western Queensland or Tassie's freezing snow.
And the memories still linger of those sheds of long ago
For it's many years now since he kept the rousies on their toes
In the big sheds at Walbundrie, Wunnamurra and so
On further down the 'Bidgee to where it joins the Murray's flow
On the Darling and the Lachlan, the Condamine and Warrego.
So he sits and dreams of shearers, the men he used to know,
Of sheds and sheep and high tallies, often beaten by a blow
He's with them now in spirit as the memories start to show
Of the frosty early mornings with the fog still hanging low
As they drifted down to the shed every man was set to go.
While the penners-up respond to strident shouts of 'Sheep-O',
The presser wound the handle that was made by Koertz and Co.
Soon the shearing would be over for another year or so
And teamsters loaded wool on wagons for their trip so long and slow. 		Bernie Walker & Des Williams 
Click to enlarge
Sitting there in the sunshine, his hair as white as snow,
He remembers men he shore with, they were guns and even though
Their names are oft forgotten, their efforts surely show
In the heritage and the history of those days of long ago
When they roamed a wide young land always ready to'have a go' 
Helping to develop the country out where the Western rivers flow.
And so we leave him dreaming of those days of years ago
When as just a young man he too joined the steady flow
Of men and big gun shearers to the shearers to the sheds with Cobb and Co.
For he too was a great gun shearer, his deeds forgotten even though
He shore with Power and Cooper, and rang a shed or so
And his efforts helped build Australia, although he didn't know
Now all through the Riverina, where-ever you may go
Right across Australia, from the saltbush to the snow,
The shearers still go shearing, it's in their blood you know,
Following in the footsteps of him and Howe and so
Up holding the traditions that were forged so long ago
By the shearers, a great debt to whom we owe.

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