The Rolling Hills Of Adelaide Poem by Francis Duggan

From Murray Bridge to the suburbs the road winds up and down
And the rolling hills of Adelaide have never looked so brown
A humid evening in autumn around 23 degrees
The sun is clouded over and scarce a puff of breeze.

In the quiet of the mountains the white backed magpie sing
His fluting one should not mistake it has a distinct ring
The magpies territorial birds sing twelve months of the year
And even in the depths of Winter their flute like notes you hear.

The rolling hills of Adelaide have never looked so bare
And hardly any animals a few sheep here and there
To support larger numbers this country far too dry
And hardly any rain at all since the end of last July.

In late evening before twilight from hiding the roos come out
And nibble on dry tufts of grass and have a hop about
In droughts and long dry Seasons the roo mob numbers small
And farmer says this Autumn not many roos at all.

From Murray Bridge to the suburbs the road winds up and down
Through the rolling hills of Adelaide that look so bare and brown
The hills almost deserted and animals are rare
And hardly any cattle and a few sheep here and there.