The Bush Music Club was founded in 1954 to collect, publish and popularise Australia’s traditional songs, dances, music, yarns, recitations and folklore and to encourage the composition of a new kind of song - one that was traditional in style but contemporary in theme.
Articles © Bush Music Club Inc unless stated otherwise, photographs © individual photographer.
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Collected in 1990 by Rob Willis & John Harpley following an almost forty-year lead from John Meredith, under the title "The Flash Sydney Shearers" Their Queensland informant was Pat Nightingale ... the most widely used tune ... Burl Ives Folio of Australian Folksongs (1953)
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Published in Trad & Now, 2025
Reminiscences of the musical life in the Araluen Valley in the late 50s & in the 60s
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(Photos © Sandra Nixon)
https://www.bushtraditions.org/dancefest/bunders.htm
Friday
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| 1. Setting up by Soundman Wally |
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| 2. daughter & father, Jenny & Wally |
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| 3. Early arrival with a bag she created |
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| 4. Young dancer who had a good time at the opening bush dance |
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| 5. Dave Johnson calling |
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Saturday
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| 6. Ros & Colin |
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| 7. Dancer working on crochetted blanket! |
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| 8. Don & daughter Cathy |
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| 9. Scottish workshop with Bradley Pevere |
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| 10. Cathy & Don |
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| 11. Jenny |
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| 12. Caroline Barrell & Colin Towns |
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| 13. The Two Unwritten Rules for Life (click) |
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| 14. Dancers |
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| 15. Cathy & Beck |
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| 16. Beck's new banjo |
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| 17. Musicians & dancers |
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| 18. Darri, Carole, Karen, Sharyn & George |
,Kathy,Mariamma,%20Dave.JPG) |
| 19. Kathy, Mariamma & Dave |
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| 20. Anish |
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| 21. watching |
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| 22. Pat George |
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| 23. David Potter recording the dance |
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| 24. smile |
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| 25. Cameron |
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| 26. In the past the Morris caller supplied rolled up newspapers, but as it's bit difficult to acquire enough papers these days, real sticks were used |
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| 27. Wielding morris sticks is funny! |
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| 28. Demonstrating proper use of sticks |
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| 29. sticks in action |
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| 30. Caller & lead musician |
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Sunday.
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| 31. a swirly skirt |
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| 32. dancers |
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| 33. Norm Ellis |
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| 34. walking around to warm up |
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| 35. warmed-up dancers |
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| 36. swirly skirts |
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| 37. smiling dancer |
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| 38. circle breaks in half |
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| 39. circle rejoins |
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| 40. and breaks up again |
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| 41. Kathy & David Potter |
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| 42. smiling dancer |
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| 43. dancers |
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| 44. Sunday Callers Ball |
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| 45. 3 sisters & swirly skirt |
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| 46. swirly skirts |
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| 47. Purple gown |
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| 48. Sharyn, George & Mike |
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| 49. dancers |
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| 50. dancers |
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| 51. Margaret, Colin |
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| 52. Regency gowns |
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| 53. beautiful gowns |
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| 54. another beautiful gown |
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| 55. Regency gown, Stuart |
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| 56. David Potter calling |
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| 57. Regency gown |
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| 58. dancers |
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| 59. Dancers who have been at every Dancefest |
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| 60. supper |
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| 61. Colin Fong, Duncan & Caroline Barrell |
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| 62. Ingrid & Jim Williams |
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| 63. 2 sisters |
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| 64. Beautiful gowns |
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| 65. dancers |
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| 66. Scottish dance |
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| 67. one sister at her first dance |
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| 68. Regency dancers |
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| 69. Scottish dance |
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| 70. Bonnet |
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Monday
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| 71. Cathy & Beck set up |
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| 72. Ingrid chasing dust bunnies |
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| 73. Cathy calling |
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| 74. Cathy & musicians |
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| 75. George, Cathy & Beck |
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| 76. Bill & Margaret Winnett, Ros Young |
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