A new song shines a light on the historic circumnavigation of Australia by British explorer Matthew Flinders, Guringai man Bungaree and Flinders’ cat Trim.
The song, The Voyage of Flinders, Bungaree and Trim, was created by Nudgee College teachers Wayne Horne and Paul Carmody, in collaboration with fellow teacher and musician Mick Melit.
The idea for the song stemmed from a conversation between Wayne and Paul about how many people might not fully appreciate the historical significance of Flinders’ journey around Australia.
“Wayne and I were discussing my idea to have Australia Day celebrations at the end of January, focused on Flinders naming of our country Australia on his chart of the coastline following his circumnavigation in HMS Investigator,” Paul said.
“We agreed that most Australians would know his name but not know much about what he did, naming the country Australia and over 200 places on the coast, including Bass Strait and the Great Barrier Reef.”
Honouring History Through Song
Inspired by Paul’s research, Wayne proposed creating a song to highlight these achievements. The pair began drafting the lyrics and Wayne reached out to Mick, a professional musician, to help bring the song to life.
“I started noodling chords and riffs on the acoustic guitar,” Mick said. “They liked my ideas, so I made some rough recordings for reference.
“Once I was comfortable with the demo recording, I set up, recorded, edited, mixed and mastered the song.”
Bungaree, one of the first Indigenous Australians to sail with Europeans, is also a key figure in the song. As Flinders’ guide, interpreter and intermediary, Bungaree played a crucial part in the expedition.
“It was Bungaree’s role to make peaceful contact with First Nations inhabitants at various locations where they made landfall,” Paul said. “Trim, the ship’s cat is a bit of a fun curiosity as Flinders always sailed with him.”
The trio is currently in the early stages of promoting the song, which has received positive feedback.
“Mick has done a wonderful job setting the lyrics to music and he has a great singing voice,” Paul said. “Everybody who has heard the song has commented about his great skill on the guitar.
“In the broader community, we have had discussions with the Bribie Island Historical Society, who are considering using the song as part of their sculptures of Flinders, Bungaree and Trim at the Bribie Island Seaside Museum, so it’s starting to make an impact.”
For more information, visit Renew Australia Day and to hear the song, visit Soundcloud.
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