Extracts from Bush Music Club Newsletter (1955-1977) - Lyrics to song collected in 1916 by Bill Frost

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Our archives contains 32 issues of our Newsletter from 1(1), October 1955 to January 1977's Newsletter and Calendar, after which it was continued by Mulga Wire, no.1 June 1977. The Newsletters are incomplete.

Newsletter, July 1969






Bill Frost was a poet & we have his 1970 book of poetry Bang Tail Muster in our library.


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Duke's Place - Australian Songs in concert & session with Margaret Walters, Friday 13th October, 2017 + report

  (Bob Bolton photo)

Margaret Walters is a long-term BMC member. She ran the popular Folk-us nights in the 80s & 90s.

Margaret Walters’ full-toned and expressive voice and her unaccompanied, traditional singing style are ideal for her repertoire of strong interesting songs – many from a woman’s perspective. Australian material, choruses, harmony and humour abound as shown on her CD "Steadfast".

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(Mulga Wire, no. 72, April 1989, p.13)

Bush Music Club
Tritton Hall
Hut 44 Addison Road Centre
142 Addison Rd, Marrickville

Map of Addison Road Centre     http://www.arcco.org.au/contact/

Door opens 7.30 for 8pm start. Session 10.00-11.30pm
BYO songs
Cost - $10

Bring something to drink & a plate for supper

Enquiries - Sandra 9358 4886

Duke's place, named after our honoured early member Harold 'Duke' Tritton (1886-1965), is the place to go once a month for a great night of Australian songs in concert and session. Duke was a powerful singer who supplied BMC with many songs he had learnt in his younger days while working as a shearer and at other bush jobs. He was also a songwriter and poet giving us songs that have entered the tradition such as Sandy Hollow Line and Shearing in the Bar.


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(photos © Sandra Nixon) 

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BMC Anniversaries - 10th, 1964

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from the Tenth Anniversary dinner menu
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Thanks to Mark Gregory for locating the following article from the Canberra Times, Tuesday 6th October, 1964, page 13 in TROVE

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Tenth Anniversary LP - (BMC Archives)
Singabout 5(2), October 1964


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Reminiscence from Frank Maher - the 10th Anniversary cake was made with 10 tiers and collapsed from it's weight! (conversation 14th October 2017)
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Extracts from our newsletter
May 1964, page 2

 
According to John Meredith's recollections & the 1954-55 minute book, the inaugural meeting was well attended, it was the second meeting that only had 3 attendees, John Meredith, Tom Durst and Kenna Rushbrook.

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July 1964, page 2

Singabout Songster, No. 1 was originally planned for publication in 1964, but was delayed until May 1968
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Extracts from Newsletter, September 1964, pages 1, 2, 3 & 5.

page 1

page 2 -

page 3


page 5
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Menu from Jamie Carlin's collection
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November 1964




(BMC Archives)

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Singabout 5(2), October 1964, page 2.


(BMC Archives)
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Singabout 5(3), July 1965, back cover

(BMC Archives)
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Photos from the Currawong weekend - "P" series photos from Archives.

P20 -


P21






Email from Ann Maher  -

Alan and Gay were there. Gay was not too happy. She needed to spend all her time with the baby and missed out on all the activities. Arthur Dearn and Marilyn Sommerville were there also.
It was a very happy weekend in a beautiful place. The ferry-only access from Palm Beach  really gave it character.
I  understand you could also come in those days by a difficult bushwalk. Brian took us for a bushwalk, I remember and we identified Aboriginal carvings along the track. He was multi talented. 
The access may be different nowadays, everything changes.
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Pages 2, 3 & 4 from October 1964 Newsletter, scanned from Jamie Carlin's collection




(All photos & extracts have been taken from BMC Archives, except Canberra Times article)

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John Meredith - photos from the Peter Ellis Collection.

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Peter Ellis Collection, National Library Oral History collection

all quotes are taken from emails sent by Peter   

Merro at Yass, 1988 (Peter Ellis photo)

Merro & Peter Ellis at Harry McQueen's place, Castlemain, c1989   (John Meredith photo)
Taken in Harry McQueen’s lounge in Castlemaine during an interview. Merro would have the original, it should be around, I rescued this from a local newspaper I think

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Collecting trip to South Australia & Western Australia, 1991.
Merro took all pictures he had a timer on his camera on a tripod. (email from Peter 12/08/12)


First night our from Thirlemere on the WA trip - Merro & Peter at motel in Hay with Peter's FJ Holden,1991 (John Meredith photo)


Merro & Peter on the Nullabor (John Meredith photo)


Merro & Peter on the Nullabor 1991 (John Meredith photo)
This is the famous one, he used a black and white of it in Real Folk and the National Library have that, but it was taken in colour. I drove a little way off the highway on a track towards some sand dunes (where the Great Australian Bite would have been) for effort.


Merro on the Nullabour on the return from Perth, 1991  (Peter Ellis photo)

There’s one more I took on the main highway across the Nullabour, i.e. sealed rd. not the off road famous one. In this I’ve got Merro pointing out at the treeless nothing.

Kimba, Half Way across Australia (John Meredith photo)
This is at Kimba where we interviewed Ma Seal, the reason for our trip.  The postboard is advertising Kimbar on the Eyre Peninsula S.A. as half way across Australia between Sydney and Perth.


Cranbrook WA - Sept 1991

This one is at my father’s cousin’s Charles and Wyn Lilford place, now both deceased. Merro and I interviewed them for the National Library, details in the Merro article I sent you. The name of the farm is East Lynne, set up originally by my great uncle Frank Lilford, and it is at Cranbrook W.A.

Merro at the Bight, 1991 (Peter Ellis photo)
it says on the back (not my writing) John Meredith indicating the South Pole near the head of the Great Australian Bight. September 1991
  
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John Meredith - photos from the Rob Willis collection

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Thanks to Rob for sharing his photos.

Rob accompanied John Meredith on collecting trips from 1983 until Merro retired in 1994. Rob is still collecting

Willis collection in National Library Oral History collection. 
The Rob Willis Collection is one of the largest oral history collections in Australia. He has recorded over 900 individuals in all states of Australia, as well as folk groups, singing groups, bands and choirs. To date, the collection totals 856 hours of playing time.  (As the page is undated, the total will be greater today.)


Camping near Mt Hope NSW on a field trip with Rob (Rob Willis photo)

John at Gunnedah with a Stanley concertina with Chinese bellows grafted on which formerly belonged to Ken Bennett.  (Rob Willis photo)

Merro playing Pop Craythorne’s accordion (Rob Willis photo)
Image taken in Holbrook Museum of John playing ‘Pop Craythorn’s Accordion’ similar to one that John played in early days.
Pop was a local musician who had a large impact on Merro’s music as he let him play the extras at dances and sit in with him when he was a kid.  Meredith played this accordion on numerous occasions at dances.   (email from Rob Willis, 9/04/13)
Merro with the original Lagerphone made by his brother Claude  (Rob Willis photo)
Our tent on one of the early field trips, 1987 (Rob Willis photo)

Merro & Rob with their travelling accordions (Rob Willis photo using self-timer)
The two accordions that Merro and I are playing are our ‘travelling’ accordions that we took on many field trips.  Busilachio in the key of C.  Both were obtained from people we recorded – mine from Jack Smith of Forbes (grey) his (red) from Ollie Moore of Swan Hill. I still have mine with the original case and a Holbrook sticker pasted on it.  (email from Rob Willis, 9/04/13)

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