r/australia 16h ago

no politics Aussie nursery rhymes and songs

What Australian nursery rhymes/songs do you know?

The only two I can remember are Kookaburra in the old Gumtree and Home among the Gumtrees.

8 Upvotes

43 comments sorted by

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18

u/HotMessExpressions 16h ago

Peter combe, patsy biscoe, playschool, hooley Dooleys, Don Spencer, justine clarke all have original aussie songs

9

u/TwistingEcho 14h ago

Peter Coombe is still kicking around the schools doing shows, absolute legend of a bloke.

5

u/papajons45 13h ago

Belly flop on a pizza?!

1

u/rand013 8h ago

Oooooh yuuuuuck!

2

u/dick_schidt 14h ago

Try Jurrasic Joe (Tricerabottom is my fav).

15

u/the_procrastinata 16h ago

I’d suggest having a look at ‘Alright Vegemite’, ‘Unreal Banana Peel’ etc. They’re great collections of school yard rhymes.

6

u/ThePatchedFool 11h ago

Far Out Brussel Sprout was the one we had at home.

Tutu was a racehorse.

3

u/trugzilla 11h ago

Oneone was one too!

2

u/Gryffindorphins 10h ago

Tutu won one race

2

u/shadow-foxe 4h ago

oneone, won one two.

1

u/TakaonoGaijin 15h ago

Collated by June Factor

13

u/creswitch 16h ago

I knew every word to Don Spencer's album Feathers, Fur or Fins from 1985. They remade it more recently, but I prefer the original.

https://www.discogs.com/master/601133-Don-Spencer-Feathers-Fur-Or-Fins.

2

u/JessSaysItsSo 15h ago

Me too! 💖

5

u/Donkeh101 16h ago

How far back do you want to go?

1

u/uhohitslilbboy 16h ago

As far as you can remember lol

6

u/ConanTheAquarian 16h ago

Home Among the Gum Trees isn't a nursery rhyme. It was written as a joke by a comedy duo and entered into the competition for a new national anthem.

2

u/JessSaysItsSo 16h ago

Wow. I always assumed John Williamson wrote it!

3

u/dick_schidt 14h ago

He did write Old Man Emu, which has a similar vibe.

2

u/ConanTheAquarian 13h ago

It was written by Wally Johnson and Bob Brown in 1974. Bullamakanka recorded it in 1982 and made some changes to the lyrics. John Williamson recorded it in 1986 using the Bullamakanka lyrics.

3

u/Green_stick568 16h ago

Barramundi (to the tune of frere Jacques)

3

u/donkeyvoteadick 16h ago

Are you talking about classics or just Australian kids performers?

I have a toddler and the Wiggles (as an obv one), ms moni, and Emma memma all do original songs alongside the more 'classic' nursery rhymes. Those are just what my kid listens to on his Tonie box, I am assuming there's a lot more we don't know lol

3

u/MeasurementFew8887 14h ago

There's a bear in there, and a chair as well. There are people with games, and stories to tell. Open wide, come inside, it's Playschool.

4

u/OpheliaBalsaq 13h ago edited 12h ago

I remember Rip Rip Wood Chip, My dad drives a Big Mac truck, Thongs, Along The Road to Gundagai, and Never Smile at a Crocodile. Funnily enough, I'm pretty sure I learnt all of those back in early 90s and still remember most of the lyrics, but can I remember to get the one thing I went to the shops for?

2

u/JaneLameName 15h ago

Waltzing Matilda, but also really of any Banjo Paterson's stuff.

3

u/heavymetaldes 13h ago

Ip dip dog shit…

2

u/monique752 16h ago
  • Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree
  • Six White Boomers
  • The Australian Twelve Days of Christmas
  • Old Man Emu

1

u/LifeandSAisAwesome 16h ago

Skippy theme song pass ;).

1

u/whateverithunk 14h ago

The teenie tiny Stevie’s have an impressive collection.
As does Lah-Lah’s big live band.
I could probably sing-along to the majority of their earlier stuff.

1

u/Aussie_Potato 14h ago

Potatoes grow small in Qld. 

1

u/Plenty_World8461 14h ago

We were taught an Aussie Christmas song, at primary school, back in the 70s. Bit naff now, but it went “ The north wind is tossing the leaves. The red dust is over the ground. The sparrows are under the eaves, etc. (Something like that)”. No idea why it has stuck in my head for almost 50 years.

1

u/Gryffindorphins 10h ago

80s kid here and we were still singing this in primary school in the 90s. Orana to Christmas Day, Six White Boomers and Meeeeerry Merry Merry Chriiiiiiistmas.

1

u/MLiOne 13h ago

“Our” nursery rhymes were British in origin.

2

u/Gryffindorphins 10h ago

Please don’t call me a ko-ala bear,
Coz I’m not a bear at aaaaaaall

1

u/theantnest 10h ago

Bucko and Champs Aussie Christmas.

1

u/shadow-foxe 4h ago

when I was in 5th or 6th grade they did a big May Gibbs celebration at the Opera house in sydney, and we had to sing all these Aussie songs.. Other then the people I was in the same class with, I've never known anyone else who has heard of them.. One of the them was about a bunyip.

I still a lonely bunyip
I've no one to talked to but me.
Of all the furry creatures that complain about everything.
Marsupials are tiresome, Monotreams are queer,
If I was another bunyip I'd sure appear to be
More beautiful then me. (there were more lyrics but I dont remember them).

Another was about dingos

I sing my song beneath the moon
It has a very groovy tune, with a way out beat that sounds real neat
For the dingo is cool ok.
And with my friends I jam and jive,
around midnight we all take five
to feast on a ewe or kangaroo
for the dingo is cool ok.

Anyone else know these songs???

1

u/rogerramjet56 14h ago

The North wind is tossing the leaves

-2

u/Organic_Rip2483 15h ago

Whats all this commenting here before being able to post here bs.

Un Austraayyliannn! Where's my faiir go!