Concrete Gang - 23rd October 1977 program

• Following the special program on Woody Guthrie about 4 months ago, today's program is a very brief glance at the life and work of Australia's great working class poet, writer and patriot, Henry Lawson - including commentary from the gang on contemporary workers' struggles. As Mario comments in the first part of his introduction, 'We cannot possibly hope to pay full justice to Lawson in a half-hour, but we hope you enjoy our choice of his poems, songs, and stories…' 

• POEM: 'A Song of the Republic', and commentary with links to current workers and union struggles and the strength of the Australian independence movement.

• POEM: 'The Statue of Our Queen', dedicated to 'last week's celebrity Jack The Hat', who always thought the only good queen was in the corner of the top bar of the Dover Hotel. 

• SONG: 'Andy's Gone With Cattle', musical adaptation by Denis Gibbons. 

• SHORT STORY: 'That There Dog of Mine', a story of mateship, not about Fraser and the multinationals. 

• POEM: 'The Waving of The Red'.

• SONG: 'Bush Girl', musical adaptation by Shirley Jacobs; dedicated in solidarity to the wives of the workers in the La Trobe Valley, and happy birthday to Mario's wife.

• POEM: 'My Army, O, My Army!', written in 1915 during WWI, a 'prophetic' piece, as he wrote to his publisher during the Russian Revolution two years later. The Concrete Gang also dedicated this piece to the striking workers at the La Trobe Valley, and note references to the Eureka Stockade, the Paris Commune in 1971 and the 'queen' of the French Revolution or 1848.

• Announcement of $1000 donation of the BLs to the struggle of La Trobe Valley power workers and call on listeners and friends of 3CR to send financial assistance to the Central Gippsland Trades and Labour Council distress fund.

• SONG: 'Freedom on the Wallaby' musical adaptation.

Presenters: Various team members from The Concrete Gang.

 Head towww.3cr.org.au/concreteganghistory for full access to links and previous podcasts