From the Archives - Bush Music Club Archives mentioned in Mulga Wire.

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AGM Committee reports were introduced at the 1983 AGM, but the Archives report wasn't included until 1985. 

Not all items produced by, bought by or given to BMC have survived.  Not every item donated was stamped, and as they were stored or used by different members, many were lost track of.

We occasionally come across tantalising reports of interesting items - see the report on the Robert (Bob) Michell bequest below (Mulga Wire no. 43,  June 1984), only a few marked books in our library exist from that bequest, the other items cannot be traced.  The 1995 Rod & Fran Shaw Bequest similarly lacks many items. 

Mulga Wire, no. 48, April 1985 for calendar year 1984

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There was no Archives report in the published reports of the 1986 AGM.

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Mulga Wire no. 60, April 1987, report to 1987 AGM

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Mulga Wire no. 66, April 1988, report to 1988 AGM
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Mulga Wire no. 72, April 1989,  report to 1989 AGM

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Mulga Wire, no. 78, April 1990, report to 1990 AGM
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Mulga Wire, no. 84, April 1991, report to 1991 AGM
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Mulga Wire, no. 90, April 1992, report to 1992 AGM
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Mulga Wire, no. 96, April 1993, report to 1993 AGM

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Mulga Wire, no. 102, April 1994, report to 1994 AGM
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Mulga Wire, no. 108, April 1995, report to 1995 AGM
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Later AGM reports will be added as located

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Articles about the Archives 

Mulga Wire 23, Feb 1981, p.6 - ... amassing of a great many sound recordings, photographs, publications, etc ... in addition to the normal consequences of Club activities ...
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1. Mulga Wire no. 43,  June 1984, cover  - 

caption of cover photo - Photograph of Brian Loughlin taken from a television screen , found in Alan Scott's albums

2.  .Perhaps it's the onset of our thirteenth anniversary ... over the last last year or so we have received large amounts of early club papers from ... Dale & John Dengate ... Gay and Alan Scott ...Ronda & Jamie Carlin ... There are always interesting questions raised by looking at old photographs and many were raised  ... when Alan Scott gave me a package of old shots of the Bushwhackers and the Bush Music Club Concert Party ... 

3. Alan Scott collection -Concert Party in Lithgow, on the weekend they met Sally Sloane, photo taken by John Meredith

4. Alan Scott collection   - Concert Party at the Banjo Paterson Festival, 1960  

5.  THE ROBERT MICHELL COLLECTION p.6
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6. Mulga Wire no.93, Oct 1992, p.S1.  Photographic Memories, more wanderings in the Archives. 

... Bushwhackers at Dame Mary Gilmore's 90th birthday party - 16th August 1955. - Dame Mary, Chris Kempster, Alan Scott (obscured), John Meredith ...  Concert Prty at 

7. Bushwhackers at Dame Mary Gilmore's 90th birthday party - 16th August 1955. - Dame Mary, Chris Kempster, Alan Scott (obscured), John Meredith 

8. Top - Concert Party, Mayne St Gulgong, Jan 1959, L-R - Standing - Gay Scott, Jack Barrie, Lorna Lovell, Duke, Seated Peter Francis, John Meredith, Alan Scott, Jamie Carlin. Ernie 'Son' James (1892-1974) in hat & braces.

Bottom - Page S3 - Bush Music Festival, 1975, Australiana Village, Wilberforce. Band L to R, Tony McLauglin (banjo), Jamie Carlin (concertina), John Dengate (guitar), Frank Maher (bones), and Alex Bowker (button accordion) ... This picture shows a bit of interaction going on at Wilberforce, with Tony, Jamie and Frank from the resident band (Reedy River Bushmen), plus John and Alex from the club's Concert party playing for a mixed group of BMC and passing public.  The dance is the Circassioan Circle ... John Kyvett (waistcoat) ... Jenny Fraser (daughter of Brian Loughlin ...) behind to his right. The girl  with the long dark hair, in the foreground is Bridget Bannear ...

9. ... cautionary tale ... In Folk Songs of Australia Volume 2, John Meredith has four tunes from the repertoire of Ernie 'Son' James, passed on from the collection of Bruce and Reg Kurtz of Stoney Creek, near Mudgee.... Unfortunately I never met Walter Allen, nor his nephew, 'Son' James, but by the greatest of good fortune, Bruce and Reg recorded James ... in 1974. Ernie James 1 ...  Since then John has been supplied with prints of several BMC archival photographs, including this one, and Mudgee locals have identified the man second from the left in the crowd (hands in pockets and wearing hat) as Ernie 'Son' James ...

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From the Archives - An undated song leaflet advertising weekly meetings at 189 Clarence St. (Jan 1968 - Feb 1969)

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BMC met at 189 Clarence St between Jan 1968 and March 1969 

1. The Old Bullock Dray

2. Drover's Dream 

3.  Flash Jack from Gundagai

4.  Jog along till shearing.   

If you have enjoyed singing songs tonight with the Bush Music Club, you mihght like to attend their weekly meetings which are held Tuesday night at 7.-45 p.m.. Third Floor, 189 Clarence Street, Sydney, for information Telephone 630-5107 

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Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members - part 4 Dave Johnson, Frank Maher, Don Richmond, Helen Romeo, Harry Kay.

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Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 1. Sally Sloane, Duke Tritton, Clem Millward, Val Hennessy, John Meredith

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 2 - Herb Gimbert, Alan Scott, Gay Scott, Brian Loughlin, Pam Loughlin 

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 3. Jack Barrie, Janet Wakefield, Jamie Carlin, Bob Bolton, John Dengate  

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part  5. Ralph Pride, Chris Woodland, Sandra Nixon, Wendy Richmond, Mike Young.

Foundation Member John Meredith, unveils new Life Members' Board before launching his new book Duke of the Outback at the Bush Music Festival Oct 1983
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David Johnson

Dave directing Heritage Ensemble 030531, (Bob Bolton photo, 2003)

Created life member 23rd March 1984 (source - membership card box)
David Johnson moved to Sydney in 1970 to study science at Sydney University. In 1971 he found and practically wore out Alex Hood's LP The First Hundred Years and discovered Australian literature by attending Manning Clarke's lectures on Henry Lawson and others.
A bit of sleuthing led him to the Bush Music Club's Beer and Cheese Night at Burwood in 1972, and then he was a regular, enjoying each session and then impatiently waiting for the next monthly instalment.
The BMC at the time was under the leadership of Jamie Carlin and Barry Collerson, and these two plus Eric Bolton, Bob Bolton, Tony McLachlan, Frank Maher, John Dengate, and others provided a remarkable immersion in Australian bush and contemporary songs.
His persistence was recognised and he was elected onto the committee and later vice-president and then president. By then Ralph Pride had returned from Tasmania and with him and Bob Bolton and David and a large team of committee and sub-committee members, the BMC became more active with music and dance workshops, monthly dances, annual balls, an annual festival, a booking agency, and publications.
David was instrumental in rewriting the BMC Constitution and was president for just three years, believing that the club would be better served by a turnover of leadership that would bring new ideas and energy.
In 1984 Bush Dance was published and soon followed by the companion Dance Instructions.

Dave was awarded life membership at the 1984 AGM in recognition of his service to the Club.

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Frank Maher - friend and workmate of Alan Scott, he came to BMC soon after Jamie did, around the same time Duke Tritton joined.

Extract from talk @ NFF 2012 ... The first event I went to was a Saturday Singabout Night held at the Y.W.C.A. on the corner of Wentworth Avenue and Liverpool Street. I worked with Alan Scott at the P.M.G. and he invited me to come along. This was in 1955 and as a result I started going every Tuesday to the Workshop Nights which in those days were held at Milsons Point. We rented a room from the Fellowship of Australian Writers. I usually sat in a corner and sang. I was eventually approached by Gay and Alan to join the club as I’d been coming for about a year. I joined in 1956, at about the same time as Duke Tritton ...

Created life member 23rd March 1984 (source - Membership card box) Concert Party at Orange at Lake Canobolas Regatta, Banjo Paterson Festival - Jamie Carlin, Jan Jones, Frank Maher, Gay Scott, Alan Scott, Jack Barrie. (BMC Archives)

Ann Maher, Jenny Loughlin (daughter of Life Members & founders Brian & Pam Loughlin), Chris Woodland, Sandra Nixon, Frank Maher, NFF 2017 (Chris Woodland collection)
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Don Richmond - Musician, dancer, caller, committee member, dance co-ordinator
Mulga Wire, no 90, April 1992, p.3

Wendy & Don receiving their Life Member badges at 60th Anniversary Concert, 2014 (Sandra Nixon photo)
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Helen Romeo - created Life Member 1997 - moved Pete McMahon, seconded Dave Johnson

Joined the BMC in 1979. Attended and supported all BMC functions from 1979 to 1985 including regular Friday Night sessions, Beer and Cheese nights, Folkus nights, picnics and weekends away.

Southern Cross, 1986 Bush Music Festival (© Bob Bolton) 

Particularly involved in organising the following - Subscription & Heritage Balls, Bush Music Festivals, Bush Music Club Booking Agency, Monday night Dance Class & Dance Group, Bush Music Club regular dances at Glebe, Beecroft, Parramatta & Blacktown. Produced many brochures and posters for many BMC activities. Attended Dancing at the Rocks for many months in the early to mid 80s and other Club functions to promote the BMC. Joined Concert Party for a while in 1980, then formed a band in 1981. In the 90s Helen & Tony Romeo lead percussion workshops & started regular poetry sessions at Tritton Hall and hosted two or three BMC poetry dinners in City restaurants.

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Harry Kay - was the 5th member of the Bushwhackers, a cast member of the 1953/54 production of Reedy River & a foundation member of the Bush Music Club.

Mulga Wire no. 62, June 1987 - Harry & Ann Kay re-joined BMC

New Theatre wiki Harry joined the Eureka Youth League and the Heathcote Bushwhackers. After the breakup of the Bushwhackers, he joined Chris Kempster and Alex Hood as the Rambleers. 

Wikipedia - The Bushwhackers (band) ...Years later, Meredith gave the following account of their formation: In June 1953 [sic: probably an error of recollection on Meredith's part; the year is given as 1952 in most other sources] a literary and musical evening held at Jack Barry's [sic] house at Heathcote was to have an "Australian Night" - something unique in those days when our own culture appeared in danger of being engulfed in the flood of second-rate canned American music. Jack, Brian Loughlin and I got together with button accordeon and two of our recent discoveries: a tea chest bass and a lagerphone. We stuck on false whiskers, dressed rough and gave out with our entire repertoire; Click Go The Shears, Botany Bay and Nine Miles From Gundagai. In spite of my whiskers falling off, or maybe because of them, we were an immediate success - as a comedy act! Chris Kempster joined us after that performance and then Harry Kay ...

The Bushwhackers by Alan Scott ... Harry Kay played the mouth organ, which he liked to call the harmonica...

Harry & Ann cut the cake for our 40th Ruby Anniversary, 1994
left - Peter Kay (beard) & Alan Scott,  right Jamie Carlin  (Bob Bolton photo)

Harry cut the cake for our 50th Golden anniversary, 2004
with President Don Richmond, Ann Kay seated. (Sandra Nixon photo) 

Mulga Wire no. 78, April 1990 pp. 14-15

Harry with his son Peter, Australian Folk at Kiama,
1997 (Bob Bolton photo).

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Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members - part 2 - Herb Gimbert, Alan Scott, Gay Scott, Brian Loughlin, Pam Loughlin

Click on pictures for large image

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 1. Sally Sloane, Duke Tritton, Clem Millward, Val Hennessy, John Meredith

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 3. Jack Barrie, Janet Wakefield, Jamie Carlin, Bob Bolton, John Dengate  

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 4  Dave Johnson, Frank Maher, Don Richmond, Helen Romeo, Harry Kay.

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part  5. Ralph Pride, Chris Woodland, Sandra Nixon, Wendy Richmond, Mike Young.
 

Foundation Member John Meredith, unveils new Life Members' Board before launching his new book Duke of the Outback at the Bush Music Festival Oct 1983
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Herb Gimbert (1888-1973)

Mulga Wire, 26, August 1981, p. 6-7

Folkloric recording: Herb Gimbert plays tin whistle, mouth organ and Jeff Young recites and sings, at a house party /​ recorded by Alan Scott

Herb on accordion 1959 (BMC Archives)
Irish musicians recording, Herb Gimbert plays mouth organ, Bill Tovey interviewed by Chris Woodland and Colin Webb in the Chris Woodland folklore collection [sound recording] Herb Gimbert plays tin whistle, mouth organ and Jeff Young recites and sings, at a house party in Surry Hills, N.S.W. in 1955. extract - Herb Gimbert playing two tin whistles at once: Valley of the Moon; Sweet Kat
Margaret Stapleton, Keith Stapleton, Mrs Smeed, Herb Gimbert, Joy Durst, Mrs Parker and Mrs Sprike perform for the John Meredith folklore field recordings, 1953-1961 [sound recording]

Memories of Herb from Noel Ricketts member of Concert Party in the 60s - Herb was knocked by a car & walked home where he made a shanghai & potted passing cars!  (conversation 20th May, 2020)

Information about Herb from Dengate papers (BMC Archives)
Herb Gimbert, Jeff Young, John Meredith, Mrs Sprike and Mrs Parker perform in the Alan Scott folklore collection [sound recording]

Herb on whistle 1959 (BMC Archives)
Under the Coolibah tree, 1956 New Theatre Herb was in the cast of New Theatre's 1956 production of Under the Coolibah tree An Australian musical by Dick Diamond. The play is based on Australian traditional folk and contemporary music, and the history of the paddle steamers of the Murray and Darling waterways.

(Concert group, Singabout, 5(2), 1964)
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Alan Scott (1930 - 1995) - a member of The Bushwhackers and foundation member, made a Life Member at 1965 AGM.    The Bushwhackers by Alan Scott - 3-part article originally published in Mulga Wire December 1981, February & April 1981

Photograph by John Meredith, published in Real Folk (BMC Archives)

Photograph of Alan & Keith McKenry by John Meredith,
used for their 2nd CD, Time is a Tempest 

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Drawing done by Ron Edwards several days before Alan's death 

Gay & Alan Scott (Scott family archives)

Bill Scot's talk about his parents - NFF 2012
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Gay Scott (1930 - 2013) - Foundation member (Newsletter, May 1969, page.1), made a Life Member at 1965 AGM.

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Brian Loughlin (1925-1975) - a member of the Bushwhackers and foundation member, made a Life Member at 1965 AGM.



Shearers band, c.1958 (BMC Archives)

Brian Loughlin washing up after lunch at Camp Eureka, 1950s, Ron cut off at left. (Photo © Ron Nixon, Pam's nephew, used with permission)

Brian recording information about Aboriginal carvings for an article he & John Meredith wrote for Walkabout, in 1951. (Photo © Ron Nixon, used with permission)

Brian & Pam's daughter Jenny at 2017 National Folk Festival - Ann Maher, Jenny Loughlin, Chris Woodland, Sandra Nixon, Frank Maher   (photo Virginia Woodland)
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Pam Loughlin - foundation member, made a Life Member at 1965 AGM.

P019 - Jan Jones's 21st birthday, Merro, Jan, Pam & Brian Loughlin, Alan Scott, Gay Terry

Heathcote Dance Group and Bushwhackers. Back Row - unknown man, John Meredith, Jack Barrie, Brian Loughlin, Harry Kay?, Pam is in front of John Meredith (photo supplied by Jenny Loughlin) 

Pam in the 50s (Ron Nixon collection)

Vale Pam Loughlin,  Mulga Wire no.6, April 1978, p.7

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