Public domain is not one blanket badge — each source can carry its own caveat
Documented covers, adaptations, and cultural echoes — each with a real, dated source
The plot may draw on a real 1894 incident in which striking shearers burned down Dagworth Station’s shearing shed, with a pursued man taking his own life at a nearby waterhole rather than being captured. A documented possible inspiration, not definitively confirmed as the literal basis.
In the 1970s it was one of several songs considered in a national public vote for Australia’s anthem, ultimately losing to “Advance Australia Fair.” The National Film and Sound Archive states there are more recordings of this song than any other Australian song.