This book discusses the lack of consensus among academics and practitioners regarding definitions of folklore and folksong, and examines the essential characteristics and importance of the existence of folksong. The nature of folksong is further discussed via examination of the origins of songs Australians consider to be part of their heritage and the methods by which folksongs are transmitted, including the minor transformations which occur during transmission. The latter issue is demonstrated in a detailed history of Eric Bogles composition, And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. ...