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.
Big Gulf Rivers
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I rode with the Campbells years ago
Where the Mitchel grass is growing
And the south wind is blowing
To the land where the big guff rivers flow
When the stock went overland
And with bronco ropes we'd brand
We would sleep beneath the stars
And eat beneath the Coolibahs
Our dampers cooked in a hole dug in the ground
The tailers tail the horses
Along the water course
And brought them to the camp by break of day
As the morning star was rising
We'd be saddled up and riding
To muster up the fats to send away
How I long to return to the gulf land
Where I rode with the Campbells years ago
Where the Mitchel grass is growing
And the south wind is blowing
To the land where the big guff rivers flow
Instrumental
We would muster on the plains
Without the help from aeroplanes
There was no drafting yards or loading ramps
And we'd hold them in a mob
Whilst the Campbells did his job
We'd draft them on the open cattle camp
We would take them up the river
To the place where we deliver
And watch them on the boundry overnight
In that cold and windy weather
We would hold that mob together
And hand them to the drover at first light
How I long to return to the gulf land
Where I rode with the Campbells years ago
Where the Mitchel grass is growing
And the south wind is blowing
To the land where the big guff rivers flow
Big rivers you know Charlie big gull rivers
In Slim Dusty's song "Big Gulf Rivers," the singer is reminiscing about his time in the Gulf Country in northern Australia, particularly his experiences as a stockman. He speaks of longing to return to this land where he once rode with the Campbells and where the big gulf rivers flow. The singer describes the open plains where they would muster the cattle, branding them with bronco ropes and sleeping beneath the stars. He also speaks of the hard work required, such as tailing the horses along the watercourse and drafting the cattle on the open cattle camp. Despite the difficulties, the singer yearns to go back to this land where the Mitchell grass grows and the south wind blows.
The lyrics of this song paint a vivid picture of a past way of life, one that was physically demanding but also filled with camaraderie and a sense of freedom. The singer's love for this land and the memories associated with it are palpable, and the song serves as a tribute to this place and the people who worked the land.
Line by Line Meaning
How I long to return to the gulf land
The singer yearns to go back to the area in the Gulf where they rode with the Campbells years ago.
Where I rode with the Campbells years ago
The singer reminisces about the times they rode with the Campbells in the past.
Where the Mitchel grass is growing
The region is where Mitchel grass grows.
And the south wind is blowing
The artist recalls how the south wind used to blow in the Gulf region.
To the land where the big guff rivers flow
The Gulf region is known for having large gulf rivers.
When the stock went overland
The singer references a time when stock was taken overland in the region.
And with bronco ropes we'd brand
During those times, the singer and others would brand the stock using bronco ropes.
And the pack horses followed us around
Pack horses used to accompany the group during those times.
We would sleep beneath the stars
During their trips, the group would sleep under the stars.
And eat beneath the Coolibahs
The group would eat under the Coolibah trees.
Our dampers cooked in a hole dug in the ground
The group would cook their dampers in a hole dug in the ground.
The tailers tail the horses
The horse tailers would guide the horses along the watercourse.
Along the water course
The group would travel near the water course.
And brought them to the camp by break of day
The horses were brought back to the camp by first light.
As the morning star was rising
The group would wake up and get ready to ride when the morning star rose.
We'd be saddled up and riding
The group would get on their horses and start riding.
To muster up the fats to send away
They would ride to gather cattle to send away.
We would muster on the plains
The group would gather on the grassy plains to muster cattle.
Without the help from aeroplanes
In those times, no help was given by planes.
There was no drafting yards or loading ramps
Drafting yards or loading ramps were not present during that time.
And we'd hold them in a mob
To manage the cattle, the group would keep them in one place.
Whilst the Campbells did his job
The Campbells would do his part while the group held the cattle.
We'd draft them on the open cattle camp
The group would draft the cattle in an open field.
We would take them up the river
The group would take the cattle upstream.
To the place where we deliver
They would deliver the cattle to a specific location.
And watch them on the boundary overnight
The group would keep watch over the cattle on the boundary overnight.
In that cold and windy weather
During the night, the region experienced cold and windy weather.
We would hold that mob together
The group would keep the cattle mob together throughout the night.
And hand them to the drover at first light
At first light, the group would hand over the cattle to the drover.
Big rivers you know Charlie big gull rivers
The song ends by repeating that the Gulf region is known for its big gulf rivers.
Contributed by Grace E. 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