Over the course of his career, he collected more gold and platinum albums than any other Australian artist.
Dusty not only recorded songs written by himself and other fellow Australian performers, but also recorded classic Australian poems by Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson with new tunes, to call attention to the old 'Bush Ballads.' An example is The Man from Snowy River by Paterson.
In 1970, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to music. In 1971 he won Best Single at the Australian Country Music Awards at the Tamworth Country Music Festival (Slim's wife Joy McKean won Song of the Year as writer of the song for which he won best single). In all, he won a record 35 "Golden Guitars" over the years.
He died at home in St Ives, New South Wales on 19 September 2003 after a protracted battle with cancer, at age 76.
The Slim Dusty Story started back in the 1940s on a remote dairy farm in the hills behind Kempsey, NSW, when a 10-year-old boy dreamed of being a country music singer. His name was David Gordon Kirkpatrick... he called himself "Slim Dusty" and began to live that dream.
But even the most optimistic farm boy would never have imagined the life that was to unfold... a life that would establish Slim as the voice of the nation, the chronicler of Australian history in song.
Slim managed to hold on to those early visions of writing and singing about the bush because during his lengthy career, he always stayed in touch with his audience. And he did this in a very real and meaningful way, so much so that his fans would feel that Slim was one of their mates and his songs "just a good yarn you might hear from a mate at the pub, around a campfire in the bush or at a back yard barbie".
He described his music as "songs about real Australians... "I have to be fair dinkum with my audience. I can't see any other way of doing it," he said. "You have to believe in what you are singing about."
Slim Dusty was the first Australian to have a number one hit record and the only Australian to ever receive a 78rpm Gold Record (for A Pub With No Beer in 1958)...
He was the first Australian to have an international record hit and the first singer in the world to have his voice beamed to earth from space (astronauts Bob Crippen and John Young played Slim's recording of Waltzing Matilda from the space shuttle "Columbia" as it passed over Australia back in 1983).
During an amazingly successful career spanning over six decades, Slims' continued popularity saw him rewarded with more Gold and Platinum Awards for sales of his singles, eight-tracks, cassettes, CD's, videos and DVDs... more than any other Australian artist!
He received an unequaled 37 Golden Guitar Awards, two ARIA's (Australian Recording Industry Association awards), inductions into the ARIA Hall of Fame and the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown.
Slim was recognized for his long time services to Australian entertainment with an MBE and an Order of Australia. In 1999, Prime Minister John Howard named Slim Dusty Australia's Father of the Year and Senior Australian of the Year. There were many other awards and honors... too many to name here!
Dusty died at his home in St Ives, New South Wales on 19 September 2003 at the age of 76, after a protracted battle with cancer.
A Letter From Arrabury
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That there's clover on the Cooper once again
And I read too that the brumbies are just like they used to be
When we mustered on the Arrabury plains
So you′re mustering down the river where the minaritchie grows
And the lignum almost barricades the sun
Where we used to strike the mickys full of cheek and quick to charge
Where we used to toss the brumbies just for fun
And your mention of Gillpippy makes me smile
For I think about the new chum and your story of the ghost
Which made that new chum touchy for a while
In my mind I see a dust cloud from 6000 marching feet
And the scent of Cooper clover comes to me
And the soft voice of a stockman as he lulls a mob to sleep
Oh how your letter takes me back to Arrabury
Oh I see the station homestead with its stately pepper trees
And the old stockyard built of timbers that will last
I can picture colts unbroken being drafted by the boys
Oh mate your letter stirs up memories of the past
And you say the sandhill flowers full of colour are ablaze
And the desert pea is blooming once again
Mate your letter paints a picture of the good times in our lives
When we mustered on the Arrabury plains
So in my home tonight in Brisbane I am answering your note
And do not smile mate if this paper's showin' stains
For I′m havin′ trouble seeing through a misty kind of haze
Like the dust out on the Arrabury plains
In Slim Dusty's song "A Letter From Arrabury," the singer is reading a letter from a friend that brings back memories of the good times that they shared together on the Arrabury plains. The friend's letter describes the blue grass that is belly high, the clover that grows on the Cooper once again, and the untamed brumbies that run free just like they used to be. The singer can see the mustering down the river and the dense lignum, which almost barricades the sun, where they used to strike the mickys full of cheek and charge quickly. The letter also mentions Gillpippy, a new chum, and a ghostly story that made him touchy for a while. The singer remembers the dust cloud that was formed by thousands of marching feet, the scent of Cooper clover, and the soft voice of the stockman who lulled the mobs to sleep. The letter also evokes memories of the station homestead, the old stockyard made of timbers, and the unbroken colts being drafted by the boys. The letter mentions the sandhill flowers full of color and the desert pea that is blooming once again, and the singer feels nostalgic for the good times they shared. The letter ends with the singer responding to his friend's note, feeling a misty kind of haze, similar to the dust on the Arrabury plains.
The song "A Letter From Arrabury" is a tribute to Australian Outback culture and a remembrance of the good times that people shared on the Arrabury plains. The song is a part of Slim Dusty's legacy in preserving the Indigenous Australian culture through his music. The song captures the essence of Australian Outback life and the struggles that people faced in the harsh environment. Slim Dusty has been described as the voice of the Outback, and his uncanny ability to capture the spirit of the land, the people, and the culture, has made him an Australian icon. The song has resonated with people from all over the world, and it continues to be a popular song amongst Slim Dusty's fans.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah you mention in your letter that there's blue grass belly high
You spoke in your letter about the fields of bluegrass that are so high they reach your belly
That there's clover on the Cooper once again
You say that the fields near the Cooper river are covered with clover once more
And I read too that the brumbies are just like they used to be
I also learned from your letter that the wild horses, known as brumbies, have not changed and are still the same as they were before
When we mustered on the Arrabury plains
During the time when we worked together to round up the cattle on the plains of Arrabury
So you're mustering down the river where the minaritchie grows
You said in your letter that you're gathering cattle along the river where the minaritchie, a type of bush, grows
And the lignum almost barricades the sun
The lignum, another type of plant, is so thick that it almost blocks out the sun
Where we used to strike the mickys full of cheek and quick to charge
The place where we once hit the wild bulls that were full of attitude and quick to attack
Where we used to toss the brumbies just for fun
Where we used to throw the wild horses around for enjoyment
Oh your letter brings back memories of the good times that we shared
Your written message has caused me to remember the enjoyable moments we experienced
And your mention of Gillpippy makes me smile
Gillpippy is a name that brings a grin to my face when spoken of
For I think about the new chum and your story of the ghost
I recall the anecdote about the phantom that you told me, which made the newcomer nervous for a while
Which made that new chum touchy for a while
The newcomer was on edge for a period
In my mind I see a dust cloud from 6000 marching feet
I visualize a dust cloud formed by the footsteps of six thousand people marching
And the scent of Cooper clover comes to me
The aroma of the clover growing by the Cooper river can be sensed in my mind
And the soft voice of a stockman as he lulls a mob to sleep
I hear the gentle voice of a rancher who is calming a herd of livestock to slumber
Oh how your letter takes me back to Arrabury
Your letter transports me back to Arrabury once again
Oh I see the station homestead with its stately pepper trees
I can see in my head the farm's primary dwelling and its impressive pepper trees
And the old stockyard built of timbers that will last
The former livestock enclosure, constructed of wood that will endure over time
I can picture colts unbroken being drafted by the boys
I can visualize how the young horses that have never been ridden are being selected by the youths
Oh mate your letter stirs up memories of the past
Buddy, your letter causes me to recall events from the past
And you say the sandhill flowers full of colour are ablaze
You claim that the brilliantly colored flowers atop the sandhills are burning bright
And the desert pea is blooming once again
Also, the desert pea is once again flowering
Mate your letter paints a picture of the good times in our lives
Pal, your letter portrays the joyous periods of our existence
When we mustered on the Arrabury plains
When we rounded up the livestock on the Arrabury plains
So in my home tonight in Brisbane I am answering your note
Therefore, in my house in Brisbane, I am replying to your letter tonight
And do not smile mate if this paper's showin' stains
If there are any marks on this paper, do not chuckle, pal
For I'm havin' trouble seeing through a misty kind of haze
I am having problems discerning my writing due to a misty haze
Like the dust out on the Arrabury plains
Which is comparable to the dust on the Arrabury plains
Contributed by Addison S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sandra
on One Truckie's Epitaph
My brother Terry Radke was the man Slim wrote the song for after he received a letter from Terry's youngest son, Lync. Thank you
Charley Boyter
on Axe Mark On a Gidgee
With horsebells to keep me company
Jake
on Your Country's Been Sold
You say you belong to Australia my friend
And rightly you’d die for this land to defend
But let us be honest, it’s sad but it’s true
Australia my friend doesn’t belong to you
Our country’s been sold by the powers that be
To big wealthy nations way over the sea
We couldn’t be taken by bayonets or lead
And so they decided to buy us instead
And talking of wars and the blood that was spilled
The widows, the crippled, the ones that were killed
And I often wonder if their ghosts can see
What’s happening now to their native country
I wonder if ghosts of the fallen can see
The crime and corruption and vast poverty
With a lost generation of youth on the dole
Who drift on life’s ocean without any goal
I once had a dream of our country so grand
The rivers outback irrigated the land
With towns and canals in that wasteland out there
And big inland cities with work everywhere
With profit from farming and factory and mine
Was used to develop a nation so fine
Then I woke from my dream into reality
That the wealth of our nation goes over the sea
Yeah you say you belong to Australia my friend
And rightly you’d die for this land to defend
But let us be honest, it’s sad but it’s true
Australia my friend doesn’t belong to you