ells ▁ ▁Australia ▁▁ ▁Fol k ▁song ▁trad itions ▁were ▁taken ▁to ▁Australia ▁by ▁early ▁sett lers ▁from ▁England , ▁Scotland ▁and ▁Ireland ▁and ▁gained ▁particular ▁fo oth old ▁in ▁the ▁rural ▁out back . ▁The ▁rh ym ing ▁songs , ▁po ems ▁and ▁tales ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁bush ▁ball ads ▁often ▁relate ▁to ▁the ▁it iner ant ▁and ▁reb elli ous ▁spirit ▁of ▁Australia ▁in ▁The ▁Bush , ▁and ▁the ▁authors ▁and ▁perform ers ▁are ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁bush ▁b ards . ▁The ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁was ▁the ▁golden ▁age ▁of ▁bush ▁ball ads . ▁Several ▁collect ors ▁have ▁catalog ued ▁the ▁songs ▁including ▁John ▁Mer ed ith ▁whose ▁recording ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁became ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁collection ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Library ▁of ▁Australia . ▁ ▁The ▁songs ▁tell ▁personal ▁stories ▁of ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁wide ▁open ▁country ▁of ▁Australia . ▁Typ ical ▁subjects ▁include ▁min ing , ▁raising ▁and ▁dro ving ▁cattle , ▁sheep ▁she aring , ▁w ander ings , ▁war ▁stories , ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁Australian ▁she ar ers ' ▁strike , ▁class ▁conflicts ▁between ▁the ▁land less ▁working ▁class ▁and ▁the ▁squ at ters ▁( land own ers ), ▁and ▁out la ws ▁such ▁as ▁Ned ▁Kelly , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁love ▁interests ▁and ▁more ▁modern ▁fare ▁such ▁as ▁tr uck ing . ▁The ▁most ▁famous ▁bush ▁ball ad ▁is ▁" W alt zing ▁Mat ilda ", ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁" the ▁uno