"Moreton Bay" - Irish-Australian Folk Ballad

"Moreton Bay" recounts the hardship a convict endured at penal settlements around Australia, in particular, the penal colony at Moreton Bay, Queensland, which was established to house convicts who had reoffended in settlements in New South Wales. The song references exceptionally brutal treatment of convicts while the colony was under the command of the infamous Patrick Logan. It also describes Logan's death at the hands of local Aborigines and the joy felt by the convicts upon hearing the news. The original version may have been composed at the time of Logan's death on or soon after 18 October 1830.
Another version, titled "The Convict's Arrival" or "The Convict's Lament on the Death of Captain Logan" has been attributed to Francis MacNamara who was transported to Australia in 1832 and was never held at Moreton Bay. It is customarily sung to the tune of the early 19th century Irish ballad "Youghal Harbour" or "Eochaill”.
Performed by Lionel Long, 1961 (Waltzing Matilda).

[@marieljunggren8568]

How absolutely beautiful. Brings tears to my eyes. Lovely voice!

[@Smethells2023]

Beautiful song.

[@tilladams7531]

This song seems like the second part of the "fields of athenry" -story

[@theconvictedquokka]

The beat was song was based of fields of athenry

[@47thSouth]

brilliant

[@atty877]

Those poor souls.

[@bernarddavis1050]

Nice, but the singer still makes the same old mistake in the lyrics: It's not "By Brisbane waters I chanced to stray". It's Brisbane Water, an arm of Broken Bay, just north of Sydney. The settlement of Brisbane in Queensland did not exist when this song was composed; in fact there was no Queensland; it was all the colony of New South Wales, as mentioned in another verse of the song. The beautiful melody is virtually the same as the Irish tune "Youghal Harbour", as well as that of the rebel song "Boulavogue" about the 1798 uprising of the United Irishmen.

[@SamO-ik2cm]

The settlement of Brisbane most definitely did exist when this was written.

[@bernarddavis1050]

@@SamO-ik2cm Captain Logan was killed in 1830. The town of Brisbane was declared in 1834. There is no exact date for the composition of this song (of which there are other versions) but it was clearly very soon after Logan's death, which it celebrates. It is possible that "Brisbane waters" refers to the Brisbane River (named in 1823) which would rather spoil my argument. Anyway, I am always ready to stand corrected. Cheers.

[@SamO-ik2cm]

@bernarddavis1050 it's entirely possible that brisbane waters refers to the area near Sydney, but Brisbane as a penal settlement began as early as early 1825. One of if not the oldest structures still standing in Brisbane is the Spring Hill windmill built in 1828. Whilst it may not have been a sprawling metropolis at the time, it was definitely on its way to being a successful settlement.

[@bernarddavis1050]

@@SamO-ik2cm Thanks for your input.

[@ktgiffin8147]

@@bernarddavis1050 I don't think that theory is very plausible. The song is very clearly referring to the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, so Brisbane Waters almost certainly referrs to the Brisbane River, on whose banks the narrator observed the convict, not Brisbane Water, NSW.

[@johncahalane7327]

This is to the air of The Boys of Wexford from the 1798 Rebellion I understand it was JFKs party piece ..

[@JackGero-hd6mo]

Who’s here from bluey

[@dennisheng3239]

Me 😅

[@Spyrotechnician]

Me too 😂😅

[@HebArgentum]

love the history but bluey anyone? surely not just me

[@mariatkachenko]

🦘🐨🌏🤠🏝️