BMC Anniversaries - Diamond Jubilee, 60th Anniversary, 2014

Click on pictures for full-screen image

Sixty Years "Bush Music Club" by Mike Waters

Report on our 60th Anniversary Concert, 15th Nov

60th Anniversary Heritage Ball - the Masked Ball & Picnic at Australian Pioneer Village
BMC Anniversaries - 60th Anniversary Member's Dinner, Ermington Community Centre March 2014
 
BMC Anniversaries - 60th Anniversary slide show from The Diamond Jubilee Concert, Saturday 30th August 2014 -3rd article.

BMC Anniversaries - 60th Anniversary slide show from The Diamond Jubilee Concert, Saturday 30th August 2014 - 2nd article.

BMC Anniversaries - 60th Anniversary slide show from The Diamond Jubilee Concert, Saturday 30th August 2014 -1st article.

Report on BMC @ Bush Traditions Gathering, October 2014

BMC @ Bush Traditions, Goulburn 2014 - Ball & dance fashions

BMC @ Turning Wave Festival of Irish & Australian Music, September 2014

Report on BMC & member's gigs, Illawarra Folk Festival 2014 

BMC at Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, 2014

We celebrated our Diamond Jubilee in 2014 with events every month. Major events were the  Concert at Addison Road Main Hall, & Dinner at Ermington Community Centre. 

We also appeared at a number of Festivals & links to reports appear below. 

Goulburn Gathering, Bush Traditions
Illawarra Folk Festival
Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival
National Folk Festival
Turning Wave
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Advert in Trad'n'Now
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60th Anniversary booklet
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Poster
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Concert program
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Concert ticket
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President Sharyn Mattern's speech at the Dinner

60th Anniversary Dinner - Welcome Speech

First

Welcome everyone to the Bush Music Club’s 60^th Anniversary Dinner.

I would ask you all to take a seat and I’ll hand over to tonight’s coordinator, Helen Romeo, who will get us all organised.

Thank you Helen.

Second

In 1953 Australia’s first folk musical, Reedy River, premiered in Melbourne. The season ran for 6 weeks.

Then in December 1953 the musical was presented in Sydney New Theatre and, with The Bushwhackers replacing the orchestra, the Sydney season ran for 18 months, after which the show toured the schools for another couple of years.

Everyone wanted to play the Bushwhackers’ music so, in October 1954, they started a club to teach their music.

The Bush Music Club was born! And here we are 60 years later!

I would like to thank everyone who has ever been involved in the club for all they have given:

Past and present office holders:

• presidents, treasurers, secretaries, MCs
• committee members
• sub-committee members
• members and past members
• And definitely not forgetting the music collectors

The club wouldn’t be able to function without you and we thank you all for your contribution over the years.

I would, also, like to thank everyone involved in making tonight happen - especially the organising committee headed by Helen Romeo. Thank you, you have all done a wonderful job.

Could I ask everyone involved in getting tonight happening, please stand so that we can say thank you.

Office Bearers

On each table you will notice there is a list of club office bears over the years. You will also notice that there are a few gaps! If you are able to fill the gaps our collector of information would be eternally grateful. If there isn’t enough room on the front, then feel to use the reverse side. These will be collected at the end of the night and collated. If you would like to add an anecdote, poem or recollection please feel free to use the blank pages at the back.

Competitions

For the 60th Anniversary, the committee decided to have a few competitions – Dance, Song, Tune and Verse – the results are:

Tunes – 5 entries

1^st Maggie Sommerville - Yabby Catcher
2^nd Maggie Sommerville - Purple Jenny
3^rd Claire Doherty - Macavity

Songs – 18 entries

1^st Bruce Watson - The Reedy River Still Flows

2^nd Maggie Sommerville - Waratah Bay
3^rd Tony Smith  - Wiradjuri Country

Poems – 15 entries

1^st Stephen Whiteside - Australian Dreaming
2^nd Noel May - That’s My Spot
3^rd Allen Davis - Women of the West

Dance – 17 entries

We don’t have a winning entry yet as the judges are still jigging through the entries.

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who entered.

Life Members

At the recent AGM 4 new Life Members were created – Sandra Nixon, Wendy Richmond, Chris Woodland and Mike Young. Congratulations and thank you for all that you have contributed to the club.

Now I would like to present all the Life Members with their membership cards.

Before I introduce you to tonight’s Guest Speak I would ask if you take any pictures or maybe you would like to write a review, anecdote, or maybe even “tonight brought back memories of ...” our editors would love to hear from you. Just email or post your photos or memories to the BMC – we’d love to hear from you – oral history is very important to us.

Guest Speaker

Our guest speaker tonight is Dave Johnson …

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Comments from the Guest Book say it all & check out our blog for illustrated articles on our year.

Thanks to everyone

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Extracts from our guest book

Dale Dengate - Glad to be here for another one - remember the 10th like yesterday.

Ann Maher - So do I, Dale. Does it make you feel old? Anyway, congratulations to the Club. Well done.

Frank Maher (joined c.1955) My great sorrow was missing the 50th (overseas)

Jamie Carlin - member 1954

Don & Sue Brian - BMC - a great inspiration

Helen Romeo - What a wonderful night! Great catching up with old friends.

Tony Romeo - Great celebration to mark another milestone. May there be many more. Let's keep the music going.

Chris Woodland - BMC forever

Annette Hood - Wonderful night

Alex Hood - Memories!

Bruce Watson - congratulations BMC on 60 fabulous years of celebrating music, dance, storytelling & most of all, people doing all this together. Best of luck for the next 60 years.

Harry Gardner - Greetings from the Victorian Folk Music Club to our big sister. Keep growing because we are too. President

Cathy Richmond - Lovely to look back at so many old photos!

Ralph Pride - Whacko! You beauty bottler sport mate

Margot & Ian Hayward - Thanks for all for the time & effort organising today. Lovely to catch up & enjoy some dancing.

Margaret & Wally Bolliger - Great time to catch up with friends, listen to the music & do some dancing. Loved seeing the old photos & playing spot the face.

Moira Cowie - Aussie Deep & true to soothe the mind

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