Mateship

You can't live hither inwards Commonwealth of Australia for really long earlier hearing nigh the concept of "mateship."  Here are some explanations:

Wikipedia says: "Mateship is an Australian cultural idiom that embodies equality, loyalty in addition to friendship."

But it goes farther than that.  This authorities site says:

'Mateship' is a concept that tin live traced dorsum to early on colonial times. The harsh environs inwards which convicts in addition to novel settlers establish themselves meant that men in addition to women closely relied on each other for all sorts of help. In Australia, a 'mate' is to a greater extent than than but a friend. It's a term that implies a feel of shared experience, mutual honour in addition to unconditional assistance.

And The Man from Snowy River."  When I heard the musical version yesteryear Wallis & Matilda from their album "Pioneers," I remarked that the divergence betwixt this even out in addition to America is that the guys inwards the American Old West would non necessarily get got come upward to the assistance of i of their immature human Equus caballus owners to acquire afterward the colt.  Here they did, to live helpful for sure, but specially for the sport of the difficulty inwards retrieving it.  Here's the poem.  [Sorry, I can't acquire the formatting just correct here, thence acquire to the original to come across all the words.] Note the description of the pony inwards the tertiary verse--the perfect Equus caballus for this mate:

There was campaign at the station, for the give-and-take had passed around That the colt from quondam Regret had got away, And had joined the wild bush horses - he was worth a M pound, So all the cracks had gathered to the fray. All the tried in addition to noted riders from the stations close in addition to far Had mustered at the homestead overnight, For the bushmen honey hard riding where the wild bush horses are, And the stockhorse snuffs the battle with delight.  There was Harrison, who made his pile when Pardon won the cup, The quondam human with his pilus every bit white every bit snow; But few could ride beside him when his blood was fairly upward - He would acquire wherever Equus caballus in addition to human could go. And Clancy of the Overflow came downward to lend a hand, No improve horseman always held the reins; For never Equus caballus could throw him spell the saddle girths would stand, He learnt to ride spell droving on the plains.  And i was there, a stripling on a modest in addition to weedy beast, He was something similar a racehorse undersized, With a affect of Timor pony - iii parts thoroughbred at to the lowest degree - And such every bit are yesteryear mount horsemen prized. He was hard in addition to tough in addition to wiry - but the kind that won't state perish - There was courage inwards his quick impatient tread; And he bore the badge of gameness inwards his brilliant in addition to fiery eye, And the proud in addition to lofty railroad vehicle of his head.  But withal thence slight in addition to weedy, i would incertitude his ability to stay, And the quondam human said, "That Equus caballus volition never create For a long a tiring gallop - lad, you'd improve halt away, Those hills are far every bit good oil for such every bit you." So he waited distressing in addition to wistful - alone Clancy stood his friend - "I retrieve nosotros ought to allow him come," he said; "I warrant he'll live with us when he's wanted at the end, For both his Equus caballus in addition to he are mount bred.  "He hails from Snowy River, upward yesteryear Kosciusko's side, Where the hills are twice every bit steep in addition to twice every bit rough, Where a horse's hoofs strike firelight from the flintstone stones every stride, The human that holds his ain is practiced enough. And the Snowy River riders on the mountains brand their home, Where the river runs those giant hills between; I get got seen total many horsemen since I get commenced to roam, But nowhere yet such horsemen get got I seen."  So he went - they establish the horses yesteryear the big mimosa clump - They raced away towards the mountain's brow,  And the quondam human gave his orders, "Boys, acquire at them from the jump,  No purpose to sweat for fancy riding now.  And, Clancy, you lot must bike them, sweat in addition to bike them to the right.  Ride boldly, lad, in addition to never fright the spills,  For never yet was passenger that could piece of occupation on the mob inwards sight,  If i time they gain the shelter of those hills."  So Clancy rode to bike them - he was racing on the wing  Where the best in addition to boldest riders accept their place,  And he raced his stockhorse yesteryear them, in addition to he made the ranges telephone  With the stockwhip, every bit he met them appear upward to face.  Then they halted for a moment, spell he swung the dreaded lash,  But they saw their well-loved mount total inwards view,  And they charged beneath the stockwhip with a precipitous in addition to abrupt dash,  And off into the mount scrub they flew.  Then fast the horsemen followed, where the gorges deep in addition to dark  Resounded to the thunder of their tread,  And the stockwhips woke the echoes, in addition to they fiercely answered dorsum  From cliffs in addition to crags that beetled overhead.  And upward, always upward, the wild horses held their way,  Where mount ash in addition to kurrajong grew wide;  And the quondam human muttered fiercely, "We may bid the mob practiced day,  No human tin concord them downward the other side."  When they reached the mountain's summit, fifty-fifty Clancy took a pull,  It good powerfulness brand the boldest concord their breath,  The wild hop scrub grew thickly, in addition to the hidden Blue Planet was total  Of wombat holes, in addition to whatever sideslip was death.  But the human from Snowy River allow the pony get got his head,  And he swung his stockwhip circular in addition to gave a cheer,  And he raced him downward the mount similar a torrent downward its bed,  While the others stood in addition to watched inwards really fear.  He sent the flintstone stones flying, but the pony kept his feet,  He cleared the fallen timber inwards his stride,  And the human from Snowy River never shifted inwards his topographic point -  It was grand to come across that mount horseman ride.  Through the stringybarks in addition to saplings, on the oil in addition to broken ground,  Down the hillside at a racing footstep he went;  And he never drew the bridle till he landed prophylactic in addition to sound,  At the bottom of that terrible descent.  He was correct with the horses every bit they climbed the farther hill,  And the watchers on the mount standing mute,  Saw him ply the stockwhip fiercely, he was correct with them still, As he raced across the clearing inwards pursuit.  Then they lost him for a moment, where 2 mount gullies met  In the ranges, but a lastly glimpse reveals  On a dim in addition to distant hillside the wild horses racing yet,  With the human from Snowy River at their heels.  And he ran them single-handed till their sides were white with foam.  He followed similar a bloodhound on their track,  Till they halted cowed in addition to beaten, thence he turned their heads for home,  And lonely in addition to unassisted brought them back.  But his hardy mount pony he could scarcely heighten a trot,  He was blood from hip to shoulder from the spur;  But his pluck was withal undaunted, in addition to his courage fiery hot,  For never yet was mount Equus caballus a cur.  And downward yesteryear Kosciusko, where the pine-clad ridges heighten  Their torn in addition to rugged battlements on high,  Where the air is clear every bit crystal, in addition to the white stars fairly blaze  At midnight inwards the mutual depression temperature in addition to frosty sky,  And where around The Overflow the reed beds sweep in addition to sway  To the breezes, in addition to the rolling plains are wide,  The human from Snowy River is a menage give-and-take today,  And the stockmen tell the even out of his ride.

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