Obit - Harry Kay 1927 - 2022

Click images for larger size.

Harry with his son Peter at Jamberoo, 1997 (Bob Bolton photo) 

Farewell Harry Kay by Karen Fong 

The Australian folk scene and especially the Bush Music Club is a lot poorer with the passing of Harry Kay at 95 last year on the 19 August.

Harry Kay was a life member of the Bush Music Club and is remembered as being one of the Bushwhackers Band (1952-1957) In early photos of the Band, we see Harry playing his diatonic harmonica. Harry Kay and Chris Kempster joined the Heathcote Bushwhackers, consisting of John Meredith, Jack Barrie and Brian Loughlin. The band then became known as The Bushwhackers, singing Australian songs such as Botany Bay, Click go the Shears and Nine Miles to Gundagai to appreciative audiences at events such as union get-togethers. Alan Scott, Alex Hood and Cec Grivas joined the Band later.

All of the eight Bushwhackers were members of the Eureka Youth League, which originated from the Communist Party, and all had started out in a trade. Harry Kay was an apprentice at the Sidchrome Electrical Company in Brisbane, joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) and later worked as a fitter and turner when he came to live in Sydney.

The play Reedy River by Dick Diamond in 1953 in Sydney played an important part in Harry’s life. The musical Reedy River was based around the shearers’ strike of 1891 and featured The Bushwhackers playing and singing Australian songs composed in the folk tradition. In the second production of the play in Sydney, Harry played the part of Nugget, a shearer, and had this to say about his acting ability (in an interview with Keith McKenry nearly two decades ago):  And I’ve always said that the best acting I’ve ever done in my life is to drink a beer and pretend that I liked it. Because I hate the damned stuff. I can’t stand the taste of it! That and Marmite, or Vegemite.

Harry’s wife Anne, who he met in the Unity Singers choir, was also in this production of Reedy River as one of the dancers. Anne went on to teach folk dancing at various venues with Harry often playing button accordion or mouth organ.

When The Bushwhackers stopped playing as a group in the later 1950s, Harry Kay, Alex Hood and Chris Kempster played on as The Rambleers. They did a couple of recordings: a 10-inch 33 rpm record called The Old Bark Hut in 1958 and a 7-inch 33 rpm record called Waltzing Matilda with the company Wattle. The two records also included dance tunes which Harry played solo on his mouth organ. The Rambleers were joined by two singers, Barbara Lisyak and Denis Kevans on some occasions.

Although we often see him playing his mouth organ, Harry Kay became proficient in many instruments. In the interview with Keith McKenry in 2004, Harry told Keith that, needing a bit of extra money, he was looking under ‘M’ for machinist in the Herald and saw an ad for a ‘Music teacher’. Harry had already taught himself how to play the English concertina and button accordion but the job in the Herald required a teacher for the mandolin and guitar. With the help of the Beresford School of Music Guitar Book, Harry taught himself these instruments and was soon teaching students. This love of teaching music continued throughout Harry’s life. Even in his early nineties, Harry managed to play a tune or two on his harmonica.

~~~~~~~
Bibliography

Fong, Karen 2023 Interview with Anne Kay, Northmead on 13 January 2023

McKenry, Keith 2004 Interview with Harry Kay, Baulkham Hills on 17 March 2004 available at the National Library of Australia

McKenry, Keith 2014 More than a Life: John Meredith and the Fight for Australian Tradition Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd, Dural, NSW

The Rambleers CD recording 2002 National Library of Australia, Recordings in the Wattle Collection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Photos from the Kay family album  used with permission

 Harry & Ann playing harmonicas, 2018

Harry teaching his grandson Ben how to play the harmonica, Kiama 1985

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blog articles about Harry

From the archives - Harry Kay
https://blog.bushmusic.org.au/2022/02/from-archives-harry-kay.html

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members - part 4 Dave Johnson, Frank Maher, Don Richmond, Helen Romeo, Harry Kay.
https://blog.bushmusic.org.au/2020/04/life-members-information-on-our-25-life_49.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the Archives - A fine pair of Schottisches from Sally Sloane - Mulga Wire no.82, Dec 1990
https://blog.bushmusic.org.au/2020/04/from-archives-fine-pair-of-schottisches.html

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BMC members and friends mentioned in Sydney New Theatre's Wiki.
http://bushmusicclub.blogspot.com/2020/02/bmc-members-and-friends-mentioned-in.html

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rambleers reunion, Illawarra Folk Festival, Jamberoo 2002
https://blog.bushmusic.org.au/2018/01/rambleers-reunion-illawarra-folk.html

.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Archival photographs: The P-series of photos from the early days
http://bushmusicclub.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/archival-photographs-p-series-of-photos.html

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Archives - Harry Kay collection (items scanned 2002)
https://blog.bushmusic.org.au/2021/09/from-archives-harry-kay-collection.html

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

50th Anniversary Reunion of The Bushwhackers, National Folk Festival 2002, part 1 - Concerts
https://blog.bushmusic.org.au/2019/01/50th-anniversary-reunion-of_4.html

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

50th Anniversary Reunion of The Bushwhackers, National Folk Festival 2002, part 2 - Reedy River with link to video
https://blog.bushmusic.org.au/2019/01/50th-anniversary-reunion-of.html

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BMC Anniversaries - 40th 1994
https://bushmusicclub.blogspot.com/2018/12/bmc-anniversaries-40th-1994.html

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Archives - 50th Anniversary, Golden Jubilee, 2004
https://blog.bushmusic.org.au/2021/03/from-archives-50th-anniversary-golden.html

.

~~

---

From the Archives - Harry Kay

Click images for larger size.

From the Archives - Harry Kay Collection.

Mulga Wire no. 78, April 1990, Bush Music in The Hills 

.

Mulga Wire  no.109, June 1995 - Some observations on instruments

.

~

---

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

Click on pictures for full-screen 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 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.

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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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).

.
~~

From the Archives - A fine pair of Schottisches from Sally Sloane - Mulga Wire no.82, Dec 1990

Click images for larger size.

Mulga Wire no.82, Dec 1990, pp.S1-S4

---

BMC members and friends mentioned in Sydney New Theatre's Wiki.

Click on pictures for full-screen image

The Sydney New Theatre wiki is a fascinating site. 
It includes information about our founders and other early members and the productions of Reedy River they were involved with.
Thanks to Lyn Colllingwod from New Theatre for permission to use these extracts. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TOM & SILVIA SALISBURY
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Tom_Salisbury
Of interest to ASIO, Tom joined NT in October 1947 after which he was involved in 72 plays ... In 1955 Tom married NT member Silvia Meech. He and Silvia sang at NT fundraising functions and were regular marchers on May Day. In 1980 Tom helped with building repairs at King Street, and in 1987 he and Silvia were made Life Members ...  Tom Salisbury was the subject of several ASIO reports, one agent noting that he was a non smoker and non drinker and that "flattery has no effect on this person". He first came to the attention of Security in 1948 when he signed a NT petition protesting against the public screening of Iron Curtain.

Silvia & Tom (seated, right) performing at a Singabout night 27/09/1970 (Bob Bolton photo)

http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Silvia_Meech (later Salisbury) Silvia joined NT in 1951 as a pig-tailed schoolgirl. She acted in An Inspector General 1952, and the next year was in the chorus of the first Reedy River, before taking on the lead role of Mary opposite Milton Moore as Joe Collins. She went on to sing at NT functions and folk concerts, performed with Contact street theatre and at Lawson festivals, and at peace and Save Our Sons rallies. Her later passion was the Trade Union Choir, its choirmaster Tom Bridges, son of Doreen Jacobs. 

Cast list in Tom & Silvia's 1953 Reedy River program. (BMC Archives, courtesy of Silvia & Tom)
Tom & Silvia are members of the Sydney Trade Union Choir and were part of our Themed Presentation on BMC's First Ten Years at the 2012 National Folk Festival

Rehearsal for First Ten Years, Silvia second from left, Tom second from right
(Photo © Sandra Nixon) 
Memories of Reedy River & the Bush Music club by Silvia Salisbury (2012)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOAN CLARKE

http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Joan_Clarke ...With John Meredith, Clarke wrote The Wild Colonial Boy about bushranger John Donahoe. Billed as another Reedy River, it was staged by Brisbane NT in 1956 but survived only six performances ...
photo - Left to right: Les Hope, June Worth, Pat Barnett, Sylvia Meech, Edgar Penzig, Eddie Allison and Nan Gow in Home Brew, 1954

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOHN DENGATE
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_John_Dengate John Dengate wrote a song re the My Lai massacre for On Stage Vietnam 1967, and in Exposure 70 sang “F111” and his own “HMAS Melbourne” to the tune of “Wild Rover No More”. In 1993 he participated in a NT fundraising concert, in 2002 performed in a concert version of Reedy River for a National Folk Festival, and in 2007 played Swaggie in Reedy River in NT’s season of Censored plays (occasionally banned because of its association with Sydney's "Red" theatre). 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PETER FRANCIS (Not a member)
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Peter_Francis  ... All this changed with the unexpected success of Reedy River. Peter performed in it 70 times (sometimes removing his false teeth). On a trip to Newcastle the cast annoyed other train passengers with non-stop singing of the show's bush tunes.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CECIL GRIVAS
 http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Cec_Grivas ... A good singer, he performed in Reedy River in 1953 and 1954; ... One of his last appearances with The Bushwhackers was at Dame Mary Gilmore’s 90th birthday in 1955.

Bushwhackers in Reedy River costumes at Dame Mary Gilmore's 90th Birthday celebrations, August 16, 1955,  Harry Kay & Brian Loughlin were hidden at the left. (BMC Archives)
With brothers Roland and Milton he established his own group The Galahs which played in the suburbs. Milton, a pianist, also acted with the Richmond Players in the 1950s, and produced for the Blacktown Musical Society in the 1960s.

The Galahs, Cecil is in the middle (source - Xanthe Grivas)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JUNE MILLS (Grivas)
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_June_Mills (Grivas) ...Of interest to ASIO, June Mills was also known by the surnames Worth, Galloway and Grivas ...

In 1954 June Grivas penned an ode to Reedy River:
Some people they like Homer, others they like Shaw,
And others like the “classics”, I could name ‘em by the score.
Some people they like “epics” crammed full of blood and lust
While others go quite drooly over Marilyn Monroe’s bust.
But me, I like the stories of Australia land
Of the pioneers, the shearers and the gallant Eureka Band.
I’m not the only one, there’s at least 10 million more
So just give us Reedy River and the Eumerella Shore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DOREEN JACOBS
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Doreen_Jacobs
Doreen Jacobs arranged the music and Helen Palmer wrote the words of “The Ballad of 1891”; they were very strict about the accuracy of both in Reedy River productions. Doreen was musical director on the 1979 production directed by Frank Barnes ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HARRY KAY Jr 
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Harry_Kay ... Father and son Harry Kay were NT members, junior joining in 1951 and senior in 1953. In 1953 Harry Kay senr operated lights for United Notions in which his son performed. Harry Kay jnr was in the cast of Merry-Go- Round and the 1960 revival of Reedy River directed by Roger Milliss. Both were in the bush musical's original production.

Harry with mouth organ (Reedy River, Sydney, 1953/54 - BMC Archives)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHRIS KEMPSTER
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Chris_Kempster ...with Silvia Salisbury, was in a NT folksinging concert in 1964, ... He formed his own group the Rambleers (a founding member was Mark McManus) ...
(conversation with Alex Hood - Alex had the first idea about founding the Rambleers,
Mark was not a founder, he was invited to join a later concert when they needed a larger lineup. Alex later had an electrical contracting business & he employed Mark for a while, Mark later did a lot of acting (& radio?????


Chris with guitar (Reedy River, Sydney, 1953/54 - BMC Archives)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Mark_McManus ...A natural tenor with a pure singing voice, he played Irish in Reedy River 1960 and was a member of Chris Kempster’s group The Rambleers.  (2 pics of RR 1960)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DENIS KEVANS 
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Denis_Kevans ...Of interest to ASIO, “poet lorikeet” Denis Kevans was in the cast of Reedy River and performed in a number of folk concerts. He wrote verse and songs, and reviewed plays for Tribune. He joined the Rambleers folk group, its members including Mark McManus and Harry Kay jnr. His last appearances at NT were in a 2004 tribute for Chris Kempster and a Loosely Woven concert in March 2005.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BRIAN LOUGHLIN
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Brian_Loughlin
BRIAN BERNARD LOUGHLIN (ca 1924 - 1974)

Like most of the original Bushwhackers, Brian was living at Heathcote when he performed in the first Reedy River in 1953 (his wife babysat while he played) and again in 1969. Brian played the lagerphone (a broom nailed with beer bottle tops) and bones, and for John Meredith helped publish Songs from the Kelly Country for the Bush Music Club, its first edition 1955.

Brian was born in Melbourne to Communist parents. He joined the CPA at age 18, and the Eureka Youth League. By 1948 he was working in Sydney as a compositor at the Daily Telegraph and became a prominent member of the Printers’ Union. On 22 October 1949 at Bankstown he married Pamela Louise Fenton who was working as a secretary in a biscuit factory. The Fenton family were strong trade unionists and Pam was a member of the CPA. (She could also play the spoons.) The couple were arrested in an early Aboriginal rights demonstration.

The Loughlins lived in Melbourne, Randwick, Heathcote and Rozelle (where their house, a distribution point for the Tribune, was infiltrated by ASIO informers). Brian Loughlin died of a heart attack at Balmain while dancing at a function supporting Communist forces in Vietnam.

Loughlin house in Heathcote, 1950s  (photo - their nephew Ron Nixon)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOHN MEREDITH
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_John_Meredith
JOHN STANLEY RAYMOND MEREDITH (1920 - 2001)
A self-taught musician, John Meredith was the founder of the Bushwhackers whose playing in 1953 ensured the success of Reedy River. While participating in the show he lived at Clovelly, his landlord Milton Moore.


He collaborated with Joan Clarke on the musical The Wild Colonial Boy about bushranger John Donahoe. ... Meredith recorded songs and music from all over Australia. He was a founding member of the Bush Music Club and edited its magazine Singabout. In 1980, researching a book about the 1915 Coo-ee march from Gilgandra, he was seeking out the 50 entries to the Coo-ee song competition.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CLEM MILLWARD
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Clem_Millward  ... designed Roger Milliss’s 1960 production of Reedy River. ...

Inside back cover Reedy River song book 1979 (BMC archives)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEIL MORRISON (Not a member) 
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Neil_Morrison   ... He dressed in neck-to-knee bathers for the 1954 Reedy River fancy dress ball ... In 2002 and 2009 he recorded Henry Lawson and other Australian poetry set to music ... His funeral oration was delivered by ex-pupil Ian Hamilton, a NT supporter ... (Neil died a few years ago - conversation with Ian Hamilton) (Alex Hood missed the Ball as he was in Western Australia- Alex 2020) 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDGAR PENZIG 
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Edgar_Penzig ... Penzig set up an historical museum at Wallacia and organised re-enactments of Ben Hall’s death in a park in Forbes, involving Cec Grivas and his brothers as singers ... Penzig died at Oatlands Tasmania on 19 November 2010

Newspaper clipping, Tuesday February 2, 1965 (Chris & Virginia Woodland collection)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ROD SHAW
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Rod_Shaw ... Rod Shaw married Frances Cottingham in 1939; she died in 1983. Of their three children, daughter Chrissie became an active NT member. Rod Shaw died of cancer on 7 December 1992.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Les Tanner giving tips on make-up to the Reedy River cast, 1953
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/File:Les_Tanner_lesson.jpg

As far as we know Len Tanner was not a member,  
http://newtheatrehistory.org.au/wiki/index.php/Person_-_Les_Tanner   A CPA member of interest to ASIO, Les Tanner in the period 1948-58 was a "legend" at NT as a set, costume and graphics designer and a talented, consistently good actor with stage charm and presence, especially in comedy. He went on to become one of Australia’s best-known Press cartoonists for over 40 years.

*****************************************