Tumba-Bloody-Rumba-Shootin’-Kanga-Bloody-Roos

That a town is universally recognised by such an epithet is sad but that no two people even those in Tumbarumba can agree on the phrase’s origin is tragic.

All agree it is ‘poetic’ in origin but the question; ‘Who wrote Tumba-bloody-rumba?’ causes considerable confusion. For a start there are three (at least) poems that use the phrase.

Two of these are by John Wolfe and are to be found in his ‘The Land of the Brolga, Australian Bush Ballads Poems and Songs.’ (Self published 1986). The Man from Tumbarumba, Versions 1 and 2 are songs. In the second edition of the book (1992) he renames version 1 Tumbarumba-Bloody-Rumba and the words by John Wolfe are set to a traditional tune arranged by Warren Fahey - of The Larrikins fame. It begins ‘He asked for work at muster time, We tried him as a rider.’ And ends with the useless braggart being shown the gate. He was last thought to be ‘Perhaps back on the lumber, Or shooting kanga-bloody-roos At Tumba-bloody-rumba.’ This song is well known and often performed by many bush bands. When the poem was written we still do not know+ - some suggest the 1960s.

John Wolfe’s second version (1992 edition) looks at the situation from the other perspective. It begins: ‘I took a job at muster time They tried me as a rider.’ The chorus contains the line ‘And chased emus and kangaroos At Tumba-bloody-rumba.’ In this version the experienced but shiftless farmhand ‘bogged the dray and ran away And took the boss’s daughter.’ Perhaps this is his view of justice for such poor treatment.

John ‘Dusty’ Wolfe is not related to the Tumbarumba Wolfes, as many have suggested. John’s friend, Doug Crawford, relates that John had been with the Scottish Forestry Commission in the ‘50s, was an outback tour guide, a prolific writer of songs and poems who also played a two-row button accordion. He settled in the Moe, Mallacoota and Lakes Entrance districts of Victoria and died in 1999.

The third poem and probably the one most Tumbarumba people identify as the source of the phrase in question is the one which begins: ‘I was down on Riverina, knockin’ round the towns a bit, An’ occasionally restin’ with a schooner in me mit;’ The traveller is intrigued by the language as he eavesdrops on the locals in the bar. He concludes; ‘But for me, I’m here to say the interestin’ news Was Tumba-bloody-rumba shootin’ kanga-bloody-roos.’

Much of the confusion over the origin of this last poem probably stems from Tumbarumba itself. Jim Haynes in his Book of Australian Popular Rhymed Verse, (ABC Books 2001), attributes it to Will Carter. He reports that the information came when he phoned someone (unnamed) in the Tumbarumba Historical Society. Geoffrey Wright, Weekly Times columnist, likewise attributed it to Carter (March 14 1990), as do several Internet sites.

Will Carter, teacher from Middle Adelong, Courabyra and Batlow was no slouch as a poet in his own right having often been published in The Bulletin alongside the likes of Henry Lawson. Being a ‘local’ he was probably a sentimental favourite. The poem is not in his papers held by the Mitchell Library and even his descendents do not think he could have written such a thing He was after all a very influential school principal.

Often incorrectly called ‘Tumba-bloody-rumba’ this third poem is in fact John O’Grady’s Integrated Adjective and there is more than enough O’Grady attribution to dispel all doubt. The Bulletin first published the poem on 17 June 1959 over the name John O’Grady (AKA Nino Culotta), John O’Grady used it in his Aussie English (1965) and it can be seen in his own handwriting in the O’Grady Papers held by the National Library of Australia. (NLA MS 8046 Box 3 Folder 22)

‘Who wrote Tumba-bloody-rumba?’ The best answer is still probably John Wolfe. Isn’t it?

- Ron and Catherine Frew - Tumba-Bloody-Rumba-Historical-Society - 2009