The Depth of the Billabong
At the beginning of the story, the narrator and his group have an exchange with a young man over the depth of the water. One of their group jokes that it is deep enough to drown in, to which the solitary man laughs and rides away. Later that day, the man drowns while trying to cross that same billabong. The irony of this encounter is that the narrator's group actually warns the man of the danger he later fatally encounters, but neither side pays the warning any attention. This lack of attention is the tragic irony in Lawson's text.
Unionism
The text makes clear the significance of union affiliation. This seems to be one of the only aspects of community in the town, other than drinking, that binds men together. It is certainly the only identification provided for the deceased man. At the same time, however, the narrator comments, "Liquor...is stronger than Unionism," upon observing how many men become too drunk to follow the funeral procession of their fellow union man. Thus Larson shows that the union bonds are perhaps not as strong as they at first seem.
Devil as Priest
Upon seeing the priest waiting to officiate, one of the men in the funeral party comments, "There's the Devil." This shows the irreverence of the men in the funeral party. Lawson is also commenting on the ironic position of the church in bush society: very much present, but often looked down on.
The Deceased's Name
Near the end of the story, the narrator discovers that the dead man's name is James John Tyson. James Tyson was a real figure in Australian history. At the time Lawson was writing, Tyson was one of Australia's wealthiest pastoralists and biggest landowners. A young man who dies alone and probably penniless in the bush could not be farther from his namesake in stature.
In a final twist, however, it turns out that Tyson is not the deceased man's real name. Lawson thus snatches away the meaning derived from even the darkest irony.
