The Man from Waterloo
Extract from
The Man from Waterloo
(With kind regards to “Banjo”)
by Henry Lawson
1
It was the Man from Waterloo,
When work in town was slack,
Who took the track as bushmen do,
And humped his swag outback.
5
He tramped for months without a bob,
For most the sheds were full,
Until at last he got a job,
At picking up the wool.
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He found the work was rather rough,
10 But swore to see it through,
For he was made of sterling stuff—
The Man from Waterloo.
There came a man from Ironbark,
And at the shed he shore;
15 He scoffed his victuals like a shark,
And like a end he swore.
He couldn't stand a something toff;
Much less a jackaroo;
And swore to take the trimmings off
20 The Man from Waterloo.
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The towny saw he must be up
Or else be underneath,
And so one day, before them all,
He dared to clean his teeth.
25 The men came running from the shed,
And shouted, “Here's a lark!”
“It's gone to clean its tooties!” said
The man from Ironbark.
The Jackaroo made no remark
30 But peeled and waded in,
And soon the Man from Ironbark
Had three teeth less to grin!
And when they knew that he could ght
They swore to see him through,
35 Because they saw that he was right—
The Man from Waterloo.
1
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The Man from Waterloo
1
(With kind regards to “Banjo”)
This line is written by
b
b
b
b
A. B. Paterson.
Henry Lawson.
the Man from Ironbark.
the Man from Waterloo.
This question requires students to locate and retrieve specific details from the text, specifically, the
explanatory information in the “Notes” section and “by Henry Lawson” which is linked to the title of the
poem and the acknowledgment through the same font and proximity. Understanding that “by” indicates
the author of a text and that the author is sending a personal message to someone else is essential for
students to select the correct answer.
Teaching tip: when starting a new text with students, introduce them to both the world of the text and
the world of the author. Understanding the experiences and perspectives of an author can help
students reach a deeper understanding of the text.
Key: B
2
In line 5, the word bob refers to
b
b
b
b
a job.
a man.
money.
months.
This question requires students to make an inference after translating information from different parts of
the text, specifically the line identified in the poem and the definition provided in the “Notes” box.
Students who do not connect the information from the different parts of the text may be drawn to the
response “a job” due to the focus (in this part of the poem) on seeking employment.
Teaching tip: Re-reading purposefully is an important skill for students to learn and use during tests.
Prompt them to re-read sections of a text with a focus on key words or phrases from a question in order
to identify significant parts of a text.
Key: C
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2
The Man from Waterloo
3
When the sheds were full, the Man from Waterloo
b
b
b
b
started swearing.
began picking up wool.
moved on looking for work.
went inside to ask for a job.
This question requires students to make an inference about the actions of the “Man from Waterloo” by
understanding that the answer lies in the line immediately preceding it and that tramping meant to move
on. Students who do not recognise that “For” indicates an explanation of why the “Man from Waterloo”
“tramped for months” will most likely be drawn to the response “began picking up wool”.
Teaching tip: Challenge students to create questions for their peers based on a shared text. Share with
them the differences between questions that require the reader to locate and retrieve answers and
questions which require the reader to integrate several elements of the text in order to determine a
correct answer.
Key: C
4
The Man from Waterloo found work as a
b
b
b
b
shearer.
jackaroo.
shed hand.
wool maker.
This question requires students to integrate and interpret information from the text, such as “he got a
job, At picking up the wool”. Students need to interpret the nature of this task and connect it to the
correct occupation.
Teaching tip: Encourage students to double check their answers by re-reading the question, possible
responses and the relevant section of the text. Model answering the question with a ‘talk aloud’ that
explains thought processes and then ask students to do the same.
Key: C
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3
The Man from Waterloo
5
The Man from Waterloo believed he was
b
b
b
b
tired.
slack.
tough.
sensible.
This question requires students to integrate information from the text, such as “He found the work was
rather rough, But swore to swear it through, For he was made from sterling stuff”. Students need to
interpret the idiom “sterling stuff” by using the contextual clues of rough work and swearing to make it
through in order to select the correct response.
Teaching tip: Explicitly teach students the term ‘context’ and the idea of using contextual clues to make
an inference in items such as the one seen above.
Key: C
6
The word swore is used in lines 10, 19 and 34 in this poem.
Which of the following meanings relates to the Man from Waterloo.
b
b
b
b
to use bad language.
to make a legally binding oath.
to pledge to give something up.
to commit with an earnest promise.
This question requires students to make an inference based on several different points of information in
the text. Recognising that in each instance the use of “swore” is in reference to committing to doing
something will allow students to interpret the correct meaning.
Teaching tip: Encourage students to approach such questions logically, by locating points of information
which could be relevant, restating them in order to gauge if they offer the correct answer and
eliminating those which are not in accord with the stem.
Key: D
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4
The Man from Waterloo
7
The Man from Ironbark’s behaviour is
b
b
b
b
brave.
deceitful.
aggressive.
misinformed.
This question requires students to integrate information from different parts of the text and apply their
interpretation in order to describe the Man from Ironbark’s behaviour. Students who are drawn to the
response “brave” may have been confused and answered the question as if the Man from Waterloo
was the character identified in the question.
Teaching tip: Provide students with a passage containing character description and have them draw up
a table with headings such as adjectives, verbs, adverbs. Prompt students to use the completed tables
to draw conclusions about the character before reading further.
Key: C
8
The word victuals (line 15) means food.
The reference to victuals is used in the poem to
b
b
b
b
show how shearers eat.
develop a character description.
make fun of the Man from Ironbark.
explain what the Man from Ironbark eats.
This question students to examine the language that is used in the poem to depict a character.
Students then need to interpret the effect of the language used by considering the provided definition
and the simile in question. Students who consider the organisation of the poem and recognise that the
entire stanza is devoted to describing the Man from Ironbark will also be aided in selecting the correct
answer.
Teaching tip: Ask students to create a series of similes which describe a real life or fictional character
and swap with a partner who must try and guess the identity in order to test their ability to make
inferences.
Key: B
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5
The Man from Waterloo
9
The Man from Waterloo cleans his teeth to
b
b
b
b
make a joke.
prompt a fight.
poke fun at himself.
dare others to do it too.
This question requires students to interpret the language used in the poem, such as “The towny saw he
must be up Or else be underneath, And so one day...”. Understanding that the language here
describes the Man from Waterloos actions as being pre-emptive and that he intended to prompt the
fight is essential for students to select the correct answer.
Teaching tip: Have students practise determining word meanings by using contextual clues and
discussing possible meanings.
Key: B
10
“It’s gone to clean its tooties!”
The Man from Ironbark uses the word tooties to imply the Man from Waterloo
b
b
b
b
is childish.
is afraid of him.
has a silly accent.
hoots like an owl.
This question requires students to interpret information from within the text, such as the quote featured
above. Students need to recognise that the Man from Ironbark would not normally speak in this
manner and was imitating a child’s pronounciation of teeth. This will enable them to infer that he is
saying the Man from Waterloo’s actions are those of a child.
Teaching tip: Prompt students to re-read the text to logically verify or eliminate options rather than
reading only once and making their best guess.
Key: A
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6
The Man from Waterloo
11
In the end, the Man from Waterloo was
b
b
b
b
bullied.
injured.
excused.
accepted.
This question requires students to interpret information from the final stanza of the poem, specifically
that “they swore to see him through” and synthesise this understanding with the idea that “he was right”
in order to select the correct answer.
Teaching tip: Encourage students to approach such questions logically, by locating points of information
which could be relevant, restating them in order to gauge if they offer the correct answer and
eliminating those which are not in accord with the stem.
Key: C
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7