Australia Song Lyrics - Horrible Histories

In Britain's Georgian times 

There were so many crimes 

No time to hang each crook guilty of a felony 

Cos there's no room to jail you 

They'd send you to Australia 

To live in our new-fangled penal colony 

Think that sounds like heaven? 

In 1787, it wasn't that kind of once in a lifetime trip 

First fleet took the journey 

Months at sea so churny 

Over 40 died while they were on the ship 

Those that lived were plucky 

Plucky, plucky, plucky 

Crammed on board with rats and vermin, cockroaches in bed 

Stench inside was sicky 

Yucky, yucky, icky 

Lice not very nice, can't get them out of my head 

Landed Bay of Botany 

Convicts' life was rotteny 

Needed food and shelter but everything failed 

Threes too strong for felling 

Stagnant water smelling 

A real step back in time in New South Wales 

Soil too poor for budding 

Huts washed up by flooding 

Plans for building houses came to sticky ends 

The best of all their labours 

Attacked by local neighbours 

And that is when your neighbours don't become good friends 

Situation tricky 

Tricky, tricky, tricky 

Then a second fleet of ships was due aground 

Some thought this was lucky 

But illness had strucky 

Half were dead or I'll 

Fever was spinning around 

After seven years 

Convict record clears 

Just one catch 

You got to pay your own way back 

No wages meant no money 

No choice, but what's funny 

Many stayed, became farmers and made a stack 

Original arrivers 

Proved hardy survivors 

Sydney turned into a place you'd choose to go 

Think that they'd be fairer 

To convicts who were sent there? 

No way they built prisons even more remote 

Port Arthur was one of the jails 

Where every escape attempt fails 

Was one man who nearly got through 

Billy Hunt dressed as a kangaroo 

Inmate's life still sucky 

Sucky, sucky, sucky 

Life behind bars was not very nice 

Hideous and messy 

Who would ever guessy 

This hellhole would become a 

Holiday paradise?