Clancy of the Overflow

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"Clancy of The Overflow" is a poem by Banjo Paterson, first published in The Bulletin, an Australian news magazine, on December 21 1889. The poem is typical of Paterson, offering a romantic view of rural life, and is one of his best-known works. The poem is written from the point of view of a city-dweller who once met the title character, a shearer and drover, and now envies the imagined pleasures of Clancy's lifestyle, which he compares favourably to life in "the dusty, dirty city" and "the round eternal of the cashbook and the journal".

And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him

In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,

And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,

And at night the wond'rous glory of the everlasting stars.

The title comes from the address of a letter the city-dweller sends, "The Overflow" being the name of the sheep station where Clancy was working when they met. Clancy himself makes a brief appearance in another popular Banjo Paterson poem, "The Man from Snowy River", which was first published the following year. Clancy was also represented by Jack Thompson in the first movie The Man from Snowy River - and Clancy is also represented in the musical theatre production The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular (during the recitation of the poem Clancy is mentioned by Steve Bisley in his role of "Banjo Paterson" while the poem is being re-enacted in the show). The poem, Clancy of the Overflow, has been set to music and recorded several times, including being recorded by Opera Australis (with Jonathan Welch), and by folk band Wallis and Matilda in 1981.

Clancy of the Overflow - the proposed film

In 2004 there were plans to make a movie of "Clancy of the Overflow", a sequel to "The Man From Snowy River", but this fell through due to financial reasons. The director was to have been Simon Wincer, who was a co-producer for the 1982 film The Man from Snowy River, as well as having been responsible for Free Willy and the Australian historical drama Phar Lap'. Bruce Rowland (who composed the music for both the 1982 film The Man from Snowy River and its sequel film The Man from Snowy River II (USA title: "Return to Snowy River"), as well as composing music for The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular, was to compose the music for the film. The film was to have been funded by private investors, but the AU $22 million minimum investment was not met by the deadline of June 2004, and the film has been shelved indefinitely.[1]