Tuesday, 1 July 2025

From the Archives - Review of Reedy River, TRIBUNE Wednesday 19th May, 1954

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http://folkstream.com/830.html

The success of New Theatre play Reedy River in its early days had a profound effect on the early Folk Song Revival in Australia. The Bush Music Club in Sydney and the Victorian Folklore Society in Melbourne were both set up in its wake. The Cold War at the time meant that for 17 years the Sydney Morning Herald refused to advertise productions of the play or allow any journalist to report on its success. This policy came to an end when the legendry WWF Secretary Jim Healy rang the editor and pointed out that the Herald's newsprint originated in Tasmania and Waterside Workers there might take steps to break the Herald boycott.


Reedy River (1954)

Showing at WWF Hall

REEDY RIVER continues its great extended season. It opens
again on Saturday, May 22, at the Waterside Workers' Federation Hall,
60 Sussex Street, Sydney, under the auspices of the Cultural Committee
of the Sydney Branch of the WWF after which it will be showing every
Friday and Saturday night.

This fine Australian musical is well into its sixth month
of showing. Already 16,000 people in Sydney have seen Reedy River.

Last week-end the May Day Committee of the Trades and
Labor Council, Newcastle, sponsored a showing of Reedy River
in that great industrial centre.

On the Friday night 1000 people enthusiastically watched the
production and on the Saturday night
500 people were entertained with excerpts and songs.

So keen were the people who saw the show that there is now
a move afoot in Newcastle to set up a New Theatre of their own.

 - - - - -

REEDY RIVER has been touring most successfully in the
suburbs. New Theatre will be pleased to arrange for Reedy
River to come to your suburb. You can contact the theatre
every day at XB2601, and in future every Friday and Saturday
at the Waterside Workers' Federation Hall for an extended
season.

Notes From the NSW Newspaper The Tribune Wed 19 May 1954 p. 7.

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The Art of John Dengate - Part 5

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The Art of John Dengate - Part 1 - (August 2015)

The Art of John Dengate - part 2. (January 2016)

The Art of John Dengate Part 3    (January 2018)

Singabout 6(1) 1966 & Singabout 6(2) 1967 -  The Art of John Dengate - Part 4  (Sept 2021)


 John's Christmas cards ©  John Dengate 












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Sunday, 29 June 2025

From the Archives - Bob Bolton Collection - Glebe Bush Dances, March & June 1999

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(photos © Bob Bolton)


Paddy's River Band - 19th June, Glebe High School






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Ryebuck - Glebe High School, 29th March










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Tuesday, 24 June 2025

From the Archives - extracts from Mulga Wire no.170, August 2005 - Song - The Flash Sydney Shearers

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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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Sunday, 22 June 2025

Music in the valley by Chris Woodland

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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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Saturday, 21 June 2025

Report on Bundanoon DanceFest 2025

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(Photos © Sandra Nixon)

https://www.bushtraditions.org/dancefest/bunders.htm






Friday

1. Setting up by Soundman Wally
2.  daughter & father, Jenny & Wally 

3. Early arrival with a bag she created

4. Young dancer who had a good time at the opening bush dance 

5. Dave Johnson calling 

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Saturday 

6.  Ros & Colin 
7.  Dancer working on crochetted blanket! 

8. Don & daughter Cathy 

9. Scottish workshop with Bradley Pevere

10. Cathy & Don 

11.  Jenny 

12. Caroline Barrell &  Colin Towns

13. The Two Unwritten Rules for Life   

14.  Dancers

15. Cathy & Beck

16. Beck's new banjo 

17. Musicians & dancers

18. Darri, Carole, Karen, Sharyn & George

19. Kathy, Mariamma & Dave

20. Anish

21. watching 

22.  Pat George

23. David Potter recording the dance

24. smile 

25.  Cameron

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 

27.  Wielding morris sticks is funny! 

28. Demonstrating proper use of sticks 

29. sticks in action

30. Caller & lead musician

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Sunday.

31. a swirly skirt
32.  dancers

33.  Norm Ellis 

34.  walking around to warm up 

35. warmed-up dancers 

36. swirly skirts 

37. smiling dancer

38.  circle breaks in half 

39. circle joins up

40.  and breaks up again 

41. Kathy & David Potter 

42.  smiling dancer

43.  dancers

44. Sunday Callers Ball

45.  3 sisters & swirly skirt

46.  swirly skirts

47. Purple gown

48.  Sharyn, George & Mike

49.  dancers

50.  dancers 

51. Margaret, Colin

52. Regency gowns 

53. beautiful gowns

54.  another beautiful gown

55. Regency gown, Stuart 

56. David Potter calling 

57.  Regency gown 

58. dancers 

59. Dancers who have been at every Dancefest 

60.  supper 

61.  Colin Fong, Duncan & Caroline Barrell

62. Ingrid & Jim Williams



63. 2 sisters 

64.  Beautiful gowns 

65. dancers 


66. Scottish dance 

67. one sister at her first dance

68.  Regency dancers 

69.  Scottish dance 

70.  Bonnet 

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Monday 

71. Cathy & Beck set up 
72.  Ingrid chasing dust bunnies 

73. Cathy calling 

74.  Cathy & musicians 

75.  George, Cathy & Beck 

76. Bill & Margaret Winnett, Ros Young 

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