South Australian Seas

Words and Music by Anne Mathews.

This brand new song is about our state’s coastline – do you know how many ‘PORTS’ we have in South Australia?

The composer, Anne Mathews, is a student at Elder Conservatorium, and for one of her assignments was inspired by the popular ‘The Wellerman’ sea shanty. She wrote it from the perspective of a fictional 19^th century South Australian sailor. She wanted the song to be a musical celebration of South Australia; to learn about South Australia's geography, industries, history, and more. It is a sea shanty, simple and strong, telling the story of sailing in the early 1900s.

Can you imagine sailing on the sea navigating the rugged coastline to transport food and wool and other cargo? No-one wanted to end up shipwrecked!!

“We’re sailors of Southern seas, come sail from port to port with me.

Leave Spencer Gulf and see the Bight, the sail is up, the ship takes flight.

Oh! We’re free sailors, on South Australian seas.”