A Rose Of The Murray Poem by Francis Duggan

Her hair is as dark as the wing of a crow
The beautiful brown young woman from where the dark Murray flow
Through the old countryside that is flat, bare and brown
Between Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend Town.

One without ageing traces for creams to disguise
So attractive looking with lovely brown eyes
A rare natural beauty free of conceit and guile
With the warmth of friendliness in her beautiful smile

From her home countryside five hours by car away
One can only hope in Warrnambool that she will stay
She always has a smile on her beautiful face
This charming young woman of Australia's first race

A descendant of the people of the Dreamtime
In the bloom of her youth near her physical prime
A Rose of the Murray she blooms like a flower after Summer rain
In her South Australia's loss is Warrnambool's gain.