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.
From The Gulf To Adelaide
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And how they brought the bullocks down in the good old days gone bye,
But the greatest droving episode that any man has made,
Was 30, 000 crocodiles from the Gulf to Adelaide.
Oh I never saw the likes of them that mob of crocodiles,
Thirty footers every one strung out for thirty miles
Three days it took to start 'em off, three days to straighten em′ up,
They were long and mean and cranky, they had teeth like cross cut saws,
When passin' though some timber, just to exercise their jaws,
They churned out hardwood posts one foot through by seven tall,
All stacked up by the stock route, barked an′ sapped an′ all.
Oh they had a normal appetite as lizards really should,
And everything in hair or hide was considered very good,
The first day out from Normanton we missed the jackaroo,
But then, blow me down, the horses went, an' the old blue heeler too.
And the last we saw of Goanna Bob, horse tailer of repute,
He was headin′ toward the rabbit proof with a big croc in pursuit,
When drifting down the Flinders, they cracked on a bit of pace,
Oh they took a mob of bullocks and never left a trace.
Oh I've been up and down these stock routes now for 20 years or more,
But I′ve never seen a travellin' mob the likes of this before,
By Saltbush plains and Gidgee rise down ′long the old Georgina,
The snapped an' snarled and pawed all day, they were slowly gettin' meaner.
They didn′t like the spinifex a ticklin′ their ol' hides
And with water gettin′ far apart, the tears came to their eyes,
Now you've heard of crocodile tears but you wouldn′t know the meanin',
Oh with 30, 000 sheddin′ tears, Oh seein' is believin'.
There was water in the gullies, there was water in the creeks,
And the old Georgina River runnin′ belly deep for weeks,
For it was our great salvation for upon that flood of tears,
We sailed ′em down past Lake Eyre on the biggest flood for years.
A short step then to Adelaide, and delivery right on time,
The agent came to meet us, and here's the ending of this rhyme,
For he said you′ll have to turn em' around and take them back again,
For the fashion now in ladies shoes is imitation crocodile with the courser grain.
Spoken
Wouldn′t it rip you.
In "From The Gulf To Adelaide," Slim Dusty recounts the incredible droving journey of 30,000 crocodiles from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Adelaide. He compares this feat to the legendary droving trips across the Murringai and emphasizes that this particular adventure was the greatest of them all.
The lyrics vividly depict the enormous size and ferocity of the crocodile mob. Slim Dusty describes them as "thirty footers," each one stretching out for thirty miles. It took three days to start the mob and align them properly, and they traveled southward for another three days before they were finally blocked up. The crocodiles were not only long and menacing, but their teeth were also compared to cross-cut saws. As they passed through timber, they even exercised their jaws, creating hardwood posts along the stock route.
The journey had its challenges, as the horses and the blue heeler dog went missing along the way. Goanna Bob, a skilled horse tailer, was last seen fleeing with a crocodile close in pursuit. The crocodile mob demonstrated their power and speed when they effortlessly took a herd of bullocks, leaving no trace behind.
Throughout the journey, the crocodiles grew more aggressive, snapping, snarling, and pawing all day. They disliked the touch of the spinifex on their hides and shed tears as the water became scarce. Slim Dusty plays on the phrase "crocodile tears" to emphasize their genuine longing for water. Fortunately, they encountered a massive flood in the Georgina River, which allowed them to sail past Lake Eyre and reach Adelaide on time for delivery.
However, the agent in Adelaide delivered an ironic blow. He informed Slim Dusty and his crew that the demand for genuine crocodile skin had diminished, and imitation crocodile leather with a coarser grain had become fashionable for ladies' shoes. This twist in the story is met with the exclamation, "Wouldn't it rip you," highlighting the unexpected nature of the situation.
Overall, the song celebrates the epic and unusual droving journey of the crocodile mob, highlighting their power, tenacity, and the irony of their purpose in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
No doubt you′ve heard of droving trips across the Murringai,
You're probably familiar with the journeys of cattle drovers across the Murringai region.
And how they brought the bullocks down in the good old days gone bye,
In the past, these drovers successfully herded the bullocks to their destination.
But the greatest droving episode that any man has made,
However, the most remarkable droving feat achieved by any person was truly exceptional.
Was 30, 000 crocodiles from the Gulf to Adelaide.
It involved transporting a staggering number of 30,000 crocodiles all the way from the Gulf region to Adelaide.
Oh I never saw the likes of them that mob of crocodiles,
I've never witnessed a group of crocodiles like that before.
Thirty footers every one strung out for thirty miles
Every single crocodile was a massive thirty-footer, stretching out for a distance of thirty miles.
Three days it took to start 'em off, three days to straighten em′ up,
It took three days to gather and organize them before the journey began.
Three days we travelled southward, three days to block 'em up.
Over the course of three days, we embarked on a southward journey, taking measures to secure and control the crocodiles.
They were long and mean and cranky, they had teeth like cross cut saws,
These crocodiles were not only long, but also fierce and irritable, and their teeth resembled the sharp blades of a cross-cut saw.
When passin' though some timber, just to exercise their jaws,
As we passed through wooded areas, they would casually gnaw on the timber to keep their jaws active.
They churned out hardwood posts one foot through by seven tall,
Their powerful jaws were capable of producing one-foot thick and seven-foot tall hardwood posts.
All stacked up by the stock route, barked an′ sapped an′ all.
We piled up these posts along the stock route, stripped of their bark and properly prepared.
Oh they had a normal appetite as lizards really should,
These crocodiles had the expected level of hunger that is typical for lizards.
And everything in hair or hide was considered very good,
Anything covered in hair or hide was considered highly desirable to the crocodiles.
The first day out from Normanton we missed the jackaroo,
On the initial day of our journey from Normanton, we realized that the jackaroo was missing.
But then, blow me down, the horses went, an' the old blue heeler too.
To our surprise, the horses suddenly disappeared, and even the loyal old blue heeler dog went missing.
And the last we saw of Goanna Bob, horse tailer of repute,
The final time we saw Goanna Bob, a well-known horse handler,
He was headin′ toward the rabbit proof with a big croc in pursuit,
He was fleeing towards the rabbit proof fence while being chased by a large crocodile.
When drifting down the Flinders, they cracked on a bit of pace,
While descending along the Flinders River, the crocodiles suddenly increased their speed.
Oh they took a mob of bullocks and never left a trace.
They swiftly captured a group of bullocks without leaving any trace of their presence.
Oh I've been up and down these stock routes now for 20 years or more,
I've been traveling along these stock routes for over twenty years.
But I′ve never seen a travellin' mob the likes of this before,
But never have I witnessed a traveling group as extraordinary as this one.
By Saltbush plains and Gidgee rise down ′long the old Georgina,
We traveled through the Saltbush plains and Gidgee rise along the course of the old Georgina River.
The snapped an' snarled and pawed all day, they were slowly gettin' meaner.
Throughout the day, these crocodiles snapped, snarled, and pawed relentlessly, gradually displaying more aggressive behavior.
They didn′t like the spinifex a ticklin′ their ol' hides
The crocodiles despised the sensation of the prickly spinifex grass brushing against their aged hides.
And with water gettin′ far apart, the tears came to their eyes,
With the scarcity of water, they began to shed tears, expressing their distress.
Now you've heard of crocodile tears but you wouldn′t know the meanin',
You may have heard the phrase 'crocodile tears,' but you wouldn't truly understand its meaning in this context.
Oh with 30, 000 sheddin′ tears, Oh seein' is believin'.
Witnessing the shedding of 30,000 crocodile tears is an experience that makes one truly grasp the reality.
There was water in the gullies, there was water in the creeks,
Fortunately, gullies and creeks contained sufficient water.
And the old Georgina River runnin′ belly deep for weeks,
Moreover, the old Georgina River had been flowing at a significant depth for several weeks.
For it was our great salvation for upon that flood of tears,
This fortunate abundance of water became our savior during the flood of crocodile tears.
We sailed ′em down past Lake Eyre on the biggest flood for years.
Taking advantage of the substantial flood, we guided the crocodiles downstream, passing Lake Eyre during one of the largest floods in years.
A short step then to Adelaide, and delivery right on time,
After that, it was just a short distance to Adelaide, where we successfully delivered the crocodiles on schedule.
The agent came to meet us, and here's the ending of this rhyme,
The agent arrived to greet us, and this marks the conclusion of the tale.
For he said you′ll have to turn em' around and take them back again,
However, the agent informed us that we must turn the crocodiles around and transport them back.
For the fashion now in ladies shoes is imitation crocodile with the courser grain.
This was because the current trend in women's shoes demanded imitation crocodile skin with a coarser texture.
Wouldn′t it rip you.
Isn't that just ironic and amusing?
Writer(s): David Gordon Kirkpatrick, Stephen Thomas Oliver
Contributed by James K. 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