<P> Give Me a Home Among the Gumtrees (or Home Among the Gumtrees) is a popular Australian song written in 1974 by Wally Johnson and Bob Brown (aka Captain Rock). It was originally performed as a satirical number in Johnson and Brown's comedy act at the Flying Trapeze Cafe in Fitzroy, Melbourne and was first recorded in 1975 on the Captain Rock album Buried Treasure on Mushroom Records . At that time the Australian Government had decided to scrap God Save the Queen as the national anthem and was running a contest called the Australian National Anthem Quest to find a replacement . The Gumtrees song was Johnson and Brown's response (it did not win). the bands first roadie with the bands nickname THE EMU. had the cassette tape of capt'rock. and insisted that h.a.t g . was a tune was vey well suited too their sound and from the first night it was performed at the Port o Call . hotel Coolangatta it was a hit for the band In 1982, the (although this story is not confirmed by all members of the band). They recorded a cover version of Gumtrees, which then became a hit . The song was later recorded by popular Australian country music singer - songwriter John Williamson, thus increasing its popularity (many mistakenly believe Williamson to be the original composer). Bullamakanka made some changes to the lyrics, which were also retained in Williamson's recording . These tended to water down the original tongue - in - cheek nature of the song . </P> <P> Bullamakanka's version was later used as the theme song for a popular gardening and lifestyle television program called Burke's Backyard, which ran on Australian television for 17 years . The program once held a competition for the best school video version of Home Among the Gumtress, and thousands of entries were submitted; one of the winners was an Aboriginal community school group who sang the song in their own language . </P> <P> Home Among the Gumtress has a set of mime actions accompanying the chorus which are familiar to people throughout Australia, although their exact origins are unknown . </P>

John williamson home among the gum trees album