Australian country music link Australia's vast distances. Isolation and loneliness of life in the Australian bush has been another theme. For much of its history, Australia's bush music belonged to an oral and folkloric tradition, and was only later published in print in volumes such as Banjo Paterson's "Old Bush Songs", in the 1890s. Waltzing Matilda, often regarded as Australia's unofficial National anthem, is a quintessential early Australian country song, influenced more by Celtic folk ballads than by American Country and Western music. The lyrics were composed by the poet Banjo Paterson in 1895. This strain of Australian country music, with lyrics focusing
Botany Bay (song) find us in Botany Bay.</poem> The song "Toorali" on the 2008 album "Summerland" from Australian band The Herd uses an adapted excerpt from the song "Botany Bay" for its chorus and main verse. A verse and chorus of the song can also be heard sung by Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, Peter Ustinov, and Glynis Johns in the 1960 film "The Sundowners". Kate Rusby covered the song for her 1999 album "Sleepless". Australian singer Mirusia with Dutch violinist André Rieu performed the song on their album "Waltzing Matilda" in 2008. The song can also be heard being sung by itinerant Australian