From the Archives - Miscellaneous correspondence - 1960's onwards

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1 & 2. Letter to John Meredith, 16 Feb 1980 re Mulga Wire no. 17 -
Club history, Duke Trtiton & Frank The Poet 

2. Page 2 of letter to John Meredith 

3 & 4 - file copy of letter written by Gay Scott to Judy Ann James,
Compere Women's Session, A.B.C. about a recent talk on the programme
by Dr  Percy James about his collection of Australian Folk Songs,
& introducing the Bush Music Club. 

4. second page of letter to A.B.C.

5. l8th Dec1969 letter from Chris Woodland re activities of the
Mulwala Bush Music Club

6. Letter from Chris Woodland, 10th Dec 1969 

7 - 8.  Feb 1980 letter from Bob Bolton to Chris Woodland re
BMC history,  Percy Spouse champion mouth organist
in the 1920s,  & a poem by Duke Tritton

8. page 2 of Feb 1980 letter

9.  April 1980 letter from Chris Woodland to Bob Bolton re. recordings
made by Percy Spouse 

10.  May 2007 letter from Edgar Penzig 

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

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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 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.

Life Members - Information on our 28 Life members - Part 6 - Colin Fong, Sharyn Mattern, Allen Davis

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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Chris and Virginia Woodland Collection - Wake for John Meredith, AM (1920 - 2001) - 24th March 2001

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Photographs taken by Chris & Virginia Woodland at the wake held on 24th March 2001 for John Meredith, AM, founding member and Life Member of the Bush Music Club.
Photos © Chris & Virginia Woodland

Wake photos from the Bob Bolton Collection are are here

On 16 February we lost probably the most important collector of Australian folk lore, and an important member of our Club. This article John Meredith, The Bush Music Club & The Australian Folk Song Revival (1950’s)  covers some of John's contributions to the collecting and preservation of our national culture. We hope it will help underline John's importance to this Club and all who care about our heritage. Mulga Wire, no. 144, April 2001.

Obit by Keith McKenry which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald. 

Obit by Chris published in Stockmans Hall of Fame, June 2001 (Chris & Virginia Woodland Collection)

 

1.  Merro's canvas Director's chair

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Sepia photos from the Chris & Virginia Woodland collection 

2.   Alex Hood

3.   Alison Jones & Chris Kempster

4.   Bill Scott

5.   Bill, Gay & Ashley Scott

6.   Chris Kempster

7.   Chris Woodland - Keith McKenry behind him. Edgar Waters in middle at front of audience, in light coloured clothing, Jenny McKenry and Bob Campbell to right of Edgar.

8.   Chris Woodland reading his memories (see text below) 

9.   back - Eva Gaddes, Richard Evans,

front - Chris Woodland, Suzie Bunyan & her husband 'H"  

10.   Dr Edgar Waters

11.  Frank Maher & Jack Barrie

12.   Gay Scott

13.   Harry Kay

14.   unidentified, Chris Kempster, Ken Greenhalgh, Bob Campbell, Sharon Frost, Alex Hood

15.   Jamie Carlin

16.   Keith McKenry

17.   Kevin Bradley, Reg Murray, Harry Kay, Rob Willis, Olya Willis

18.   

19.   Merros's niece Suzie Bunyan

20.   The Bushwhackers - Chris Kempster, Harry Kay, Alex Hood, Jack Barrie

21.   Rob Willis leads the session - Alison Jones, Harry Kay, Bob Campbell, Sharon Frost, Rob, Scot Carlin, Jacqui Bradley, Kevin Bradley

22.   The Bushwhackers - Chris Kempster, Alex Hood, Jack Barrie, Harry Kay

 23.   Virginia Woodland, Shelley Grant

24.   Unknown, Chris Kempster, Ken Greenhaulgh, Bob Bolton, Alison Jones, Bob Campbell, Alex Hood & Sharon Frost

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Vale Merro (John Meredith 17.1.1920 - 16.2.2001) Read at Merro's wake held Saturday 24th March 2001 held at Gay Scott's 'Bent Acres', Amy Street Balmoral Village. He had died Albury Hospital 16th February. Chris Woodland, 10 March 2001

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