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From the song "I Am Australian" by the Australian pop group The Seekers.
I came upon the prison ship
Bowed down by iron chains
I fought the land
Endured the lash
And waited for the rains
I'm a settler
I'm a farmer's wife
On a dry and barren run
A convict then a free man
I became Australian
What kind of run are they talking about?
Run here is probably a "sheep run"; the online Oxford Dictionaries gives the definition
(Especially in Australia) an extensive tract of land on which sheep are pastured.
A 'dry and barren run' would be a farm where survival would be very difficult.
Pop music often takes liberties with use of language. I believe what they really meant was, "On a run through a dry and barren place." However, like many songs, there is room for other interpretations as well.
