In Search of the Man from Snowy River
Corryong, New Victoria, Australia
April 2006


:: Narratives :: Snowy River Photos 1 :: Snowy River Photos 2 ::
:: Snowy River Photos 3 :: Riley's Ride Fire ::

Most Americans find familiar the poem entitled The Man from Snowy River. Many Americans have seen the movies The Man from Snowy River and Return to the Snowy River. When Dr. Lucas first traveled throughout South Eastern Australia researching the Case of the Twin Chimneys, he constantly ran upon the story about the man from the Snowy River region that captured a prize run-away stallion and thereby gained entrance into history and legend. The entire episode was made famous by the well-known Australian writer Banjo Paterson. Paterson’s poem was inspired by a high country stockman (sometimes called a bushman) named Jack Riley. Paterson met Riley in 1890 while visiting the region. Riley is buried in the local cemetery at Corryong.

In his usual style, Dr. Lucas quickly made friends with several of the locals in and around Corryong. Two friends in particular, Jack and Lorna Hillier, helped organize, arrange, and manage the entire set of arrangements for the historic visit of OU Southern faculty and students in the Australian Upper Valley. This unique and beautiful community offers an annual festival that celebrates the Australian pioneering spirit found in the people and culture of the Upper Murray Valley and the ranges of the Snowy Mountains. The festival features the traditional Australian high country and bush culture and involves stories, legends, and songs about rivers, mountains, horses, stock saddles, whip cracking, brumby catching, Akubras, oilskins, yarn spinning, bush poetry, hand crafts, utes, and fine Upper Valley foods.

Dr. Lucas challenged his students to return with him to the foothills of the Snowy Mountains in order to engage in possibly one of the most ambitious folknographic projects to date. He wanted to return with a folknographic team and discover the meanings and message of the Snowy River legend. What does this legend mean to the Australians? What does this legend mean for Americans? Why do the legend, poem, and movies hold such appeal for folk on both sides of the world? What causes people to come to this small community and commemorate, re-enact, and remember one man’s ride down a treacherous mountain side? The Grand Tour Question became, “What drives the appeal of the Man from Snowy River?” Dr. Lucas, his colleague Dr. Bob Culp (OU Southern professor and director of the Nature Center) and ten other adventurous folknographers set out on a two week journey to the other side of the world In Search of the Man from Snowy River.