He’s gone to Queensland, droving,
    The old folks used to say;
He’s gone to Queensland, droving,
    The people say to-day.
But “gone to Queensland, droving,”
    Might mean, in language plain,
He follows stock in buggies,
    And gets supplies by train.

He’s knocking round in Queensland,
    The old folks used to say;
He’s gone to Queensland, roving,
    His sweetheart says to-day.
But “gone to Queensland, roving”
    By mighty plain and scrub,
Might mean he drives a motor-car
    For Missus Moneygrub.

He’s looking for new country,
    The old folks used to say;
Our boy has gone exploring,
    Fond parents say to-day.
“Exploring” out in Queensland
    Might only mean to some
He’s salesman in “the drapery”
    Of a bush emporium.

To somewhere up in Queensland
    Went Tom and Ted and Jack;
From somewhere up in Queensland
    The dusty cheques come back:
From somewhere up in Queensland
    Brown drovers used to come,
And someone up in Queensland
    Kept many a southern home.

Somewhere up in Queensland,
    How many black sheep roam,
Who never write a letter,
    And never think of home.
For someone up in Queensland
    How many a mother spoke;
For someone up in Queensland
    How many a girl’s heart broke.