The Story of Possum, Legend of the Riverland

There is a story from Renmark in the Riverland Of a man in the bush as his legend began He was a shearer from New Zealand in the Depression Who came to Australia in the 1920s for shearing sessions But hard times meant he could not buy his Union ticket This put him out of work without it So he went into the bushland And lived his life there not so grand Cause people were different in those days And Possum was proud staying out of the way So he lived on bush tucker all the time Doing odd jobs he would be just fine Surviving on track rations from police stations He travelled the bush tracks of the Australian nation Taking no charity working for salt he’d need to do This he said it would get him through Max Jones was a local detective sergeant there Who tried to look after this legend as he did care But Possum would look after himself Using his bushcraft skills as his wealth As the years went on his legend grew He’d mend a fence or chop firewood too But he would not take handouts As he would travel the Riverland on walkabout He would say he’d be alright When he would get his Union ticket as his right One of a disappearing breed Only taking what he would need And so now Possum has gone from this world too With his body being found next to the river in 1982 They built a statue of Possum at Wentworth town At the place where the Darling meets the Murray flowing down. © Paul Warren Poetry