billabong

26 Feb '09 5:30 pm

When I first moved here, there was a damp swampy area that dried up in the summer and flowed like a river during the rainy season. Sometimes it overflowed near the driveway but the flooding never lasted more than 24 hours. Making just the right paths to keep ones shoes from sinking and disappearing into the mud became a priority.
My brother had just transferred to Australia and we were so busy learning about all things Australian and it seemed to fit so we named our place Billabong Farm. We are not in any way connected to a river but there is a "draw " where two inclines meet and send water traveling to the damp area during the wet season. We deepened it with our ducks dabbling (and a little extra digging) so that it would drain the surrounding swamp and hold back enough water for the late August /early September dry spell so we could water the plants and animals and people! It is now a watercourse.

bil⋅la⋅bong
/ˈbɪləˌbɔŋ, -ˌbɒŋ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [bil-uh-bawng, -bong] Show IPA
–noun Australian.
1. a branch of a river flowing away from the main stream but leading to no other body of water; a blind or dead-end channel.
2. a creek bed holding water only in the rainy season; a dried-up watercourse.
3. a stagnant backwater or slough formed by receding floodwater.
Origin:
1830–40; < Wiradjuri bilabaŋ creek that runs only during the rainy season, equiv. to bila river + baŋ poss. suffix

26 Feb '09 5:49 pm

Thank you for the explanation---I do hope you know the words for 'Waltzing Matilda' too !
Your place certainly sounds interesting.

27 Feb '09 7:19 am

Hi Gwen!

Where is your Billabong Farm? We'd love to know about it - we're a nosy lot! (In a nice way!) Very Happy

1 Mar '09 5:03 pm

What a lovely Sunday morning discovery!

I'm pleased to see you've solved the picture posting. I'd seen your post asking for help, but not opened it. Then, this morning, there was your lovely explanation of life on Billabong Farm, complete with pictures! Talking of Billabong - I too wondered about the name, and, being a language person, loved your detailed explanation! It is a word I remember from when I first was taught "Waltzing Matilda" at the ripe age of 6 or so, but I've never got beyond a sort of 'synonym for creek' explanation.

I look forward to lots and lots of interesting peeks at life on your farm. It is great to welcome an enthusiastic new member to the forum!

Jack

2 Mar '09 10:17 am

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Everyone must have learned this song in gradeschool no matter where you were brought up. had no idea that its a favorite for one branch of the US marines
Apparently it ends with the unlucky chap drowning himself. I only learned these 2 stanzas

3 Mar '09 9:15 am

I hadn't realised that Waltzing Matilda was known outside of Australia and NZ-
Macflax-have i got the words correct? I can't remember who exactly was on the thoroughbred.

Up came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
and he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

Up came the ?? mounted on his thoroughbred
Up came the troopers one --two--three
where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

Up jumped the swagman and jumped into the billabong
"You'll never catch me alive said he"
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
(quietly, mournfully) Yooooou'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

3 Mar '09 9:17 am

PS
I now can't get the jolly song out of my mind !

21 Mar '09 12:12 pm

I love hearing stories about the names gardeners choose for their homesites. I had always thought that when I finally owned a farm it would be called Bide-a-Wee. I thought that was a very unusual choice of names. After the fact, I learned that it is actually a pretty common name for all sorts of things, including another farm right here in Alabama during the 1800's.

I will be looking forward to seeing more about your Washington State gardens.

24 Mar '09 10:08 pm

At the risk of triggering another earworm, well done Dixie, I don't think I could have remembered so much! Was it the squatter on the thoroughbred? And for some reason I'm not sure the swagman "stowed" the jumbuck. I'll have to google...

24 Mar '09 10:11 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltzing_Matilda

billabong

billabong

Billabong

Hello Gwen and welcome!

waltzing matilda

Waltzing Matilda

PS

Billabong Farm