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.
Axe Mark On a Gidgee
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just an axe mark on a gidgee, I don't want no fancy grave,
Somewhere out there on the Cooper, there's a quiet spot near the nine mile,
Where the ringers go each muster, when the gidgee blossoms wave.
Let the wild horse and the clean skin and the brown bee in the clover,
Let the wood duck and the emu, all bear witness to my tomb,
Near that quiet spot at the nine mile make an axe mark on a gidgee,
Make an axe mark on a gidgee, I've no wish for marble headstones,
I've got kin in distant places, who may shed a tear and claim,
I was someone who I wasn't, well you know the way I feel,
Just an axe mark on a gidgee and initials for my name.
And in the middle of each muster, when the campers by the nine mile,
When the steers are being ridden and those sand hills plow his way,
Try and find the time one evenin' to come by where I'll be sleeping
Where an axe mark on a gidgee by the Cooper by my grave.
Let the wild horse and the clean skin and the brown bee in the clover,
Let the wood duck and the emu, all bear witness to my tomb,
Near that quiet spot at the nine mile make an axe mark on a gidgee,
That my shrine be always centred, by the western gidgee blooms
The song 'Axe Mark on a Gidgee' by Slim Dusty is a powerful tribute to the Australian bush and the life of a stockman. In this song, Slim Dusty expresses his wish to be buried in the outback with only an axe mark on a gidgee tree as a marker. He sings about the beauty and peace of the surrounding countryside, where wild horses roam and the sound of flowing water provides comfort. He imagines his kin coming to pay their respects to him at his simple grave site, where the natural surroundings of the western gidgee blooms will provide a fitting tribute to his life.
The song is a reflection of Slim Dusty's love for the outback and his deep connection to the land. He sings about his own mortality, and his desire to be laid to rest in a simple and natural way. He sees the beauty in the simplicity of a humble grave marked only by an axe cut on a gidgee tree, and he values the natural surroundings of the outback over any grand monument or headstone.
The lyrics also speak to the timeless traditions of Australian stockmen and their way of life. The mustering of cattle and the simple camaraderie of camp life are an integral part of the bush tradition, and Slim Dusty pays tribute to these values in his song. He sees the outback as a place of simplicity, beauty, and respect for the land and its inhabitants.
Line by Line Meaning
There's horse bound to keep me company and the water's to flow near me,
I'll be surrounded by nature with a horse and water nearby.
Just an axe mark on a gidgee, I don't want no fancy grave,
I don't need a extravagant tombstone, just a simple marker on a tree will do.
Somewhere out there on the Cooper, there's a quiet spot near the nine mile,
There's a peaceful location along the Cooper River near the nine mile marker.
Where the ringers go each muster, when the gidgee blossoms wave.
The location is where cattle drivers gather during muster season when the gidgee trees are in bloom.
Let the wild horse and the clean skin and the brown bee in the clover,
Let the animals of the land witness my resting place.
Let the wood duck and the emu, all bear witness to my tomb,
Let the birds of the land witness my resting place as well.
Near that quiet spot at the nine mile make an axe mark on a gidgee,
The marker on the gidgee tree should be placed near the peaceful location at the nine mile marker.
That my shrine be always centred, by the western gidgee blooms.
The marker should always be centered by the blooming western gidgee trees.
Make an axe mark on a gidgee, I've no wish for marble headstones,
I don't need an expensive marble headstone, just a simple marker on a tree will do.
I've got kin in distant places, who may shed a tear and claim,
My loved ones in faraway places may visit my resting place and mourn.
I was someone who I wasn't, well you know the way I feel,
I lived my life true to who I was, despite what others may have perceived me as.
Just an axe mark on a gidgee and initials for my name.
All I need for my marker is a simple carving of my initials and the axe mark on the gidgee tree.
And in the middle of each muster, when the campers by the nine mile,
During each cattle muster season, when campers gather near the nine mile marker.
When the steers are being ridden and those sand hills plow his way,
When the cattle are being driven and the riders navigate the sand hills.
Try and find the time one evenin' to come by where I'll be sleeping,
I hope that someone will take the time to visit my resting place in the evening.
Where an axe mark on a gidgee by the Cooper by my grave.
My marker on the gidgee tree will be located along the Cooper River, near my grave.
That my shrine be always centred, by the western gidgee blooms.
The marker should always be centered by the blooming western gidgee trees near my resting place.
Contributed by Ella J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Charley Boyter
With horsebells to keep me company