In This Vast And Sparsely Populated Land Poem by Francis Duggan

In this vast and sparsely populated Land there is so much to see
From Cape York at the very top to Tasmania on the sea
The deserts of Central Australia and Queensland's brown outback
Where most by roads off of the highway end up in a dirt track.

Kakadu in the Northern Territory where bird and animal life abound
The ponds and lakes and billabongs to the dangerous salt crocs home ground
The vast outbacks of Western and South Australia and the salt pans of the Coorong
Home of the indigenuous tribes of corroboree and song.

This is an ancient Country though some refer to it as new
From the old stories of the Dreamtime the myths and legends grew
Through the brown lands and the flat lands where the Murray river flow
Of the history of this Country there is much to learn and know.

In the Blue Mountains of New South Wales the gullies are steep and wide
And on the Queensland New South Wales border miles of scenic countryside
And in the sugar cane and banana country that stretch northward from Lismore
Miles and miles of green cash crop lands stretching towards the ocean shore

In the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria where the Mountain ash stand tall
Where a thirty metres giant would be even seen as small
Lives one called the superb lyrebird the most amazing mimic of them all
Even the noise of a chainsaw in his song he can recall

To this vast and sparsely populated Country to where the Seasons come and go
There are fertile lands and coastal lands where only saltbush grow,
There are mighty Mountain ash trees that seem to touch the sky
To the small and lovely tree fern trees about six metres high.