Classic Bush Yarns

The Australian sense of humour was born of convict blood, hopeful gold diggers, itinerant bush workers, canny swagmen, iron-back bush women, laconic soldiers, sweaty factory workers and larrikin city-slickers. Above all it is the humour of a pioneering country where men, women and children battled with an idiosyncratic climate where the uncertainty of droughts, floods and bushfires were always around the corner.This collection is a sampling of the Australian sense of humour and a good example of our living folklore. Although they are similar to jokes, and some have had circulation as jokes, they are quite different. They are descendants of a tradition of storytelling that has all but disappeared. They spin a yarn, drawing the listener in, inviting you to meet characters like lazy Len, Dad and Dave, and Sandy the Shearer. They are keys to our past and our unique culture.Fahey, Warren is the author of 'Classic Bush Yarns' with ISBN 9780732270483 and ISBN 0732270480.