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Nine miles from Orroroo - Preview
poem by Jack O'Reilly music by John O'Dea
Margaret Smith from Orroroo gave me this poem and I will always be grateful to her for this. I arranged and wrote the music for this song, which was written by a man called Jack O'Reilly.
About "Jack O'Reilly"
John Vincent O'Reilly (Jack) was born at Mintaro SA. In his time he was a drover, stockman, prospector, bullock driver and finally a farmer at Erskine, near Black Rock and Orroroo.
He married Gertrude Irene Patterson and reared six sons. He battled the hardships of the depression and drought of the 1930's. This inspired him to write these poems and sketches (which he sometimes sketched on the walls of the sheds and even his house). The drought plus heavy mortgage forced Jack, like other farmers of the district, to sell the farm. He moved to Adelaide, living there until he died in 1947.
Many thanks to Gerry O'Reilly (Jack's grandson) for permissions and further information.