Michael Kelleher's Golden Days Poem by Francis Duggan

In his retirement from laying of heavy pipes he is one who travels far
In east and south and western Australia from his home in San Remo Victoria by motor car
With his metal detector in search of precious gold
It is of men like Michael Kelleher that adventure stories are written of and told

A long way south of Claraghatlea a kilometre from Millstreet Town
Where he used to live many years ago when his hair was chestnut brown
Before the yearn for adventure inspired him to travel far south
Of the old fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout

Of late in Dunolly in Victoria on the old gold mining ground
With his metal detector a nice piece of gold he found
Valued at fifteen thousand dollars this is quite a good day's pay
Though this of course is something that does not happen every day

The lives of strong and healthy and adventurous men may make for a good read
But it cannot be an easy life for anyone for to lead
At night in the remote countryside sleeping in a car far from the nearest town
And all day long with metal detector on old gold fields walking up and down

The spirit of adventure remains in the adventurous men
Michael Kelleher has not lost it and he is near three score and ten
Perhaps far south of Claraghatlea he will see his last sunset
But men like him live on in time they seem hard to forget

Soon he will drive to the old gold fields of Broken Hill in remote New South Wales
Where on his long journey he will stop at bush town pubs for to enjoy a few ales
Men like him they are quite rare and never ceases to amaze
In years from now some biographer may write the storyof Michael Kelleher's Golden Days.