Notes from the author
Banjo Paterson died on 5 February 1941, eighty-five years ago, and yet with the
Banjo Paterson High Country Trail, you will always find little of Paterson ‘Over the range’.
‘Over the Range’ is the title of one of a poem Paterson published in 1887 in The Sydney Morning Herald in which he suggests:
On a thing so certain — "When people die
They go to the country over the range."
And so it is in the High Country, Paterson’s High Country poetry can always be found ‘Over the range’.
I hope that someone will pick up the torch and take Banjo Paterson’s Trail northwards to Orange, Tenterfield and onwards up to Winton, discovering more of the rich world which was Paterson’s inspiration.
Research and written on behalf of the Upper Murray Historical Society, The Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, The Corryong Neighbourhood Centre, The Man from Snowy River Tourism Association, The General Sir Harry Chauvel Memorial Foundation and Sandy the Warhorse Committee.
Honor Auchinleck
Acknowledgements
Thanks to everyone who has helped and supported the Banjo Paterson High Country Trail.
The Upper Murray Historical Society wishes to acknowledge the generosity of Banjo Paterson’s great-grandson Alistair Campbell for putting the Paterson papers in the public domain in the National Library of Australia. Similarly the Upper Murray Historical Society acknowledges the assistance of the National Library of Australia and permissions for the use the following photographs from Papers of A B Paterson (MS 10483):
Portrait of Banjo Paterson
Crossing the Murrumbidgee
Colonel J M Arnott, Chauffeur and Banjo Paterson
Cooma v. Camden
On Kosciusko Side
On Top of Mt Kosciusko
On Kosciusko
Johnny Riley point out ‘The Pilot’ ascending Kosciusko
Homestead and grounds of Johnny Riley Esq on Indi Run
Johnny Riley pointing out “Mt Pilot” on ascending Mt Kosciusko
On the Road to Kosciusko
Tallangatta from the Pub
Bullock teams at Albury
The Upper Murray Historical Society also wishes to thank: The Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, The General Sir Harry Chauvel Memorial Foundation, Visitor Information Centres in Snowy Valleys (Tumut and Tumbarumba), Gundagai, Yass and Cooma. My thanks go to Tumut Family History Group for its help with information about Patrick Kiley. Greg Ryan from the Albury and District Historical Society has also kindly assisted with information – Thank you Greg. Heartfelt thanks also go to Joe Calvert of Calvert and Company for Joe’s excellent advice, creative talents and endless patience.
My special thanks go also to bush poet Geoffrey Graham for his special words about Banjo Paterson and suggesting that Beechworth could indeed be included on the High Country Trail. Thea Newton has done a wonderful job proofreading the manuscript. Thank you Thea.
Honor Auchinleck
Notes on spelling
Please note: The authors of the Banjo Paterson High Country Trail acknowledge some inconsistency in spellings. I have ensured spellings used are consistent with Banjo Paterson’s Complete Poems (Sydney: A & R Classics, 2014). I have left Banjo Paterson’s spelling of Mt Kosciusko. In our explanatory text I have used the modern spelling of Kosciuszko.
References
Banjo Paterson, Complete Poems (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 2001)
A. B. (Banjo) Paterson, Illalong Children: The Story of Banjo Paterson’s Childhood (Sydney: Landowne, 1985)
Jennifer Gall, Looking for Rose Paterson: How Family Bush Life Nurtured Banjo the Poet (Canberra: NLA Publishing, 2017)
Hay Hell and Booligal
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Illalong and Binalong
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Bookham and Conroys Gap
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Bowning and Yass
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History brought to life by CalvertandCo.com © Copyright protected 2026, Calvert & Co, Honor Auchinleck, and The Man From Snowy River Museum. All rights reserved.
Acknowledgements
The Upper Murray Historical Society wishes to acknowledge the above organisations for their support and thank the
National Library of Australia (NLA) together with
Mr Alistair Campbell for their assistance and their permission to use images from the
Papers of Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson (MS 10483), NLA. For more information
click here.