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A farmer's wife led a great life
Spare time driving for pin money
She ploughed the fields - devoted wife
Raising children - bees for honey.
Delivering mail she drove at speed
Four in hand she spied a band
Bushrangers ahead - quick thinking indeed
She hid her children on timbered land.
On she drove to face the felons
Her tongue lashing sent them packing
"You'll not take my mail; mutton heads and melons!"
Formidable female - nothing lacking.
Back she drove on rutted bush trail
Found her children crying
Homeward bound with Royal Mail
Giant of a woman - men left sighing.
Home in time to muster cattle
Daisy Byrnes - driver and farmhand
Never one for inane prattle
Women on the land - merry band.
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Author Notes
Australian regional dialect. "Mutton heads" relates to calling the bushrangers sheep without a brain. "Four in hand" relates to managing four horses that were pulling the coach. 1930: Outback Western New South Wales - a place called Orange. Daisy Byrnes worked beside her husband ploughing the land. In her spare time she drove the Cobb & Co. Mail Coach - afraid of no one - she was built like a brick outhouse (dunny) or toilet block. For many years she drove along the non-existing roads delivering mail to out - stations and shops. In 1930 times were tough and every shilling counted - bushrangers were a constant threat to the coaches. Daisy sent them packing. We always say that a big - boned person is built like a brick outhouse (dunny.) Enjoy!
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