Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson may fairly be regarded as Australia's national poet. 'Waltzing Matilda', 'Clancy of the Overflow' and 'The Man from the Snowy River' still strike a chord in the hearts of Australians wherever they may be, evoking, as they do, the rough life and values of the outback. The apparent simplicity of the ballad form which 'Banjo' embraced so wholeheartedly is balanced by many syllabic irregularities and internal rhyme. This harks back to the old ballads of the English and considerable ingenuity of stress and Scottish borders, as well as the heroic songs of Ireland. Banjo Paterson's poetry is the authentic voice of a frontier society in which song and campfire recitation were the only entertainment open to tired stockmen and drovers.