BUSHCRAFT - THE AUSTRALIAN SWAGMAN!

Today I’m demonstrating what every day life was like for the Australian Swagman, also called a swaggie, sundowner or tussocker. The Swagman was a person that traveled by foot from farm to farm carrying his belongings in a swag (bedroll). The term originated in Australia in the 19th-century. All the Swaggie's possessions were carried over his shoulder in a roll of canvas - The Swag - never forgetting the essential black billy in hand for cooking and drinking! Swagmen were particularly common in Australia during times of economic uncertainty, such as the 1890's and the Great Depression of the 1930's. Today the Swag is a common household name in Australia and the modern swag - with it's fly net, hoops, mattress and creature comforts - originates from these early beginnings. Enjoy this moment in time with me! instagram -  / richard_musgrave_evans