Waltzing Matilda is Australia’s National Song (as distinct from its national anthem). The story is of an itinerant rural worker who steals a sheep and drowns himself rather than be taken in by the police. Not a theme which could be expected to strike such resonance with Australians, but in various forms the songs has been recorded at least 200 times since the first recording in 1926.

Within these recordings is a history of Australian popular music, as the song has been adapted to fit the musical style of the day. This paper will trace the changes in recording technology and musical taste (and occasionally the lack of it) through the way Waltzing Matilda has evolved over 80 years of recording.