Extracts from Singabout - The artists, 1956-1967

Click on pictures for full-screen image

Singabout was well illustrated by a number of talented artists from Sydney's left wing art world.

=====================
Gil Small 
Gil was a friend of John Meredith, & might not have been a full-time artist as he had a career in the publishing field. He & his dancer wife Joan lived at Como. Jamie saw his death notice about 12 months ago.  (Source: Jamie Carlin)
Gil was a fiddler & appeared with John Meredith in a short-lived group Boomerang, 1952/53 (source: More Than a Life - John Meredith and the Fight for Australian Tradition by Keith McKenry)
=====================
Rod Shaw (1915-1992)

In 1939 Shaw and Dick Edwards established The Barn on the Hill Press at Woolloomooloo. During the war he was a camoufleur with the R.A.A.F. The commercial operations of the two partners resumed in 1945 under the imprint of Edwards & Shaw.
Shaw was a member of the Communist Party of Australia from the war years until 1956. During the same period he taught and exhibited with the Studio of Realist Art (SORA), of which he was a founder. SORA published ten regular bulletins and held exhibitions at its studio in George Street, Sydney and at David Jones' Gallery. In the early 1950s Shaw had designed the spectacular mural depicting the history of the Australian working class and the labour movement located in the Sydney headquarters of the Waterside Workers' Federation. He also conducted classes for the Wharfies Art Group. He went on to teach drawing and painting in technical colleges, the University of N.S.W, and Arts Council Summer Schools. 

Shaw, Roderick (1915-1992)  also known as Schweik (1915-1992), Shaw, Rod (1915-1992), Shaw, Roderick Malcolm Shaw (1915-1992)

Papers of Rod Shaw's daughter, Chrissie, are in the Rod Shaw collection in the State Library of NSW.

Early member Jamie Carlin has a painting by Ron Shaw that he had originally given to John Meredith who left it to Alan & Gay Scott. Gay later gave it to Jamie. According to early member Frank Maher, Edwards & Shaw also did bulk print runs of blank Singabout Night posters whenever BMC needed them!

 
Rod & Clem Millward worked on the MUA mural now in the Maritime Museum
=====================
Clem Millward, 1929 - 

Born in Melbourne in 1929 Millward spent his childhood in Western Australia before undertaking studies at East Sydney Technical College and at the Julian Ashton School in Sydney. He won a student scholarship from the Romanian Government and studied in Bucharest. He has exhibited widely and is represented in several major collections. He was awarded the 1973 Wynne Prize.

Clem Millward received BMC's third Life Membership for his illustrations for Songs from Lawson. He is still painting and his paintings are found in many private and public collections.
(from Jamie Carlin - Clem never/rarely came to BMC, but was a friend of Rod Shaw a very famous artist who provided drawings for Singabout. )
======================

Herbert McClintock (1906-1985)

HerbertMcClintock, artist, was born on 20 November 1906 at Subiaco, Perth, eldest of six children of South Australian-born parents William McClintock, engraver, and his wife Ada Julia, née Cramond. The family settled at Heidelberg, Victoria, after a period in Adelaide. At the age of 13 Herbert was apprenticed to a process engraver. He later worked for a signwriter who encouraged his artistic talents. From 1922 he attended evening classes at the National Gallery of Victoria’s drawing school, where he was taught by Bernard Hall, George Bell and William McInnes. Fellow students included Eric Thake and James Flett.

============================
John Dengate - 1938-2013
Although John Dengate had been drawing, reciting and writing verse since he was a small lad, he started writing in a traditional style after his future wife, R. Dale Morgan took him to the Bush Music Club in 1961. Here John was influenced by John Meredith and Alan Scott, both Australian folklorists and collectors. John became an enthusiastic researcher of Australian folklore as a basis to his writing, storytelling and performances. But he was also a writer and sketcher of political satire and parodies. For over sixty years, John wrote about life in Australia and was well known for his performance at folk venues and sketches he freely gave people at festivals. (source - Dale Dengate)

Blog articles on The Art of John Dengate Part 1 &  Part 2
============================
Ads in Singabout for BMC's first 2 books 

Singabout 1(2), Autumn 1956

Singabout 2(2), September 1957
==========================
Illustrated covers

volume 1, 1956

Volume 4, 1960-62

Singabout, vol 6, final issues 6(1) - unnamed artist, 6(2) - art by John Dengate
==============================
 Singabout 1(2), January 1956 - artwork & layout by Gil Small

======================
A selection of illustrations, where the artist was credited
 
Singabout, 3(2), 1959 or 1960.  Frank Bennier, 1919 - 1998, also known as Frank Benier, Benier, Screen artist, painter & cartooonist  https://www.daao.org.au/bio/frank-bennier/

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

Singabout 4(1), 1960, illustration by Unk White (1900-1986), courtesy of The Bulletin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
 Singabout 4(4), 1962 - cover artist Keith Antill (no information available - so far)

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

Signature RMS - Roderick Malcolm Shaw

Singabout 3(4) - p16 - signed by RMS 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Singabout 4(3), p.12 - signed RMS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 4(3), p.16. signed RMS
===================================
Uncredited artists
 
Singabout 3(3), Winter/Spring 1959, p.16 (squiggle between rug & leg of bed might be RMS)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 3(4) p.6

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

Singabout 3(4) p.11
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 4(1), p.3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 4(1), p.5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 4(2), p.10
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 4(2)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 4(3)   (signed behind owner's boot?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Illustrations by known artists
Gil Small - Singabout 2(4), p.10



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rod Shaw

Singabout 4(4) p.7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 4(4), p.12
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rod Shaw & daughter Christine Shaw
 
Singabout 5(1), p.13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Singabout 5(1), p.20
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rod Shaw & Clem Millward - Singabout 5(3) & (4)
 
Singabout 5(3), p. 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Singabout 5(3), p.3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Singabout 5(3), p.6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Singabout 5(4), p. 13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 5(4), pp10-11
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Dengate, credited in 6(2), but he also supplied all but one drawing for 6(1) according to Dale Dengate.

Singabout 6(1), p.15
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 6(1), p. 14
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Singabout 6(2), p. 20
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Singabout 6(2), p.17
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 John did not create this illustration

Singabout 6(1), p. 3

Thanks to Jamie Carlin, Frank Maher & Dale Dengate for information used in this article.

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

Extracts from Singabout - the early songwriters - Dorothy Hewett (1923-2002) & Merv Lilley (1919-2016 )

Click on pictures for full-screen image

The Bush Music Club published many new songs & poems in Singabout, Journal of Australian Folk Song between 1956 and 1967. This series lists the works of these songwriters and poets and provides biographical information where possible.

 Interview with Merv Lilley by Alex & Annette Hood, held in the National Library

Bookmark: https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/3308955

Merv Lilley born Rockhampton, Qld. talks about his family background and ancestry; the Murphy Murders in Gatton, Qld.; reading the book "Gatton Man"; the book "The Channels"; his father and his relationship with his two sons; his father teaching his sons to fight; living on the farm while his father was away working as a commercial traveller; suffering a "rupture" from heavy lifting, his work and relatives; Charles "Bluey" Bostock; dairy work in Mackay; the possum season, skinning of possums; the shooting of koalas; working on Cleve Station, out from Marlborough; an operation for his "rupture"; joining the army following an argument with his father; his mother and her relationship with father; his writing beginnings, a teacher's encouragement for writing and recitation; leaving school and his first jobs; the reality of life in the bush; his interest in the Communist Party; smoking.

Lilley speaks about working for Brett's sawmills for 12 months (1944) after leaving the Army; training for boxing at "Snowy Smith's" Gymnasium; a bike accident; George McKinnon; Army life and being on Goods Island when John Gorton was shot down; the army refusing to recognise the men of island service; a post-war battle for recognition; the bombing on Horne Island; a court marshal; his decision to leave the army; being unable to box due to injury, his regrets about this; talks of fighting techniques; his fitness; the last fight; "Bronco Johnson" and his troupe; Cassius Clay; Tom O'Flynn; Alex Hood talks about Merv's songs, published by the Bush Music Club; a misunderstanding with John Meredith; how he met Dorothy Hewitt; meeting Zoe O'Leary from "Realist Writers"; advice given about how to write; meeting Dorothy in Melbourne when she wrote "Bobbin Up"; being regarded as a "Revisionist"; the Australasian Book Society; being asked by Dorothy to go to Perth to learn to write poetry; communicating through John Meredith.

Biography

• Merv Lilley is a well known writer of prose and verse. His connections with progressive left wing artists and writers, along with his years of experience working around the country as a farm labourer, cane cutter, station hand, seaman and professional boxer have given his writings an authentic and penetrating quality, which show him to be a true chronicler of his life and times. His working partnership with Dorothy Hewett forged a common concern and love for the Australia of the working people. He has been very active in writers' organisations and many of his poems have been set to music and are part of many singers' repertoires.
  
  =========================================
  
  

VIDEOS - A Lyrical Afternoon at Varuna, The Writers' House Katoomba, In celebration of the life and work of Norman Talbot, Dorothy Hewett and Merv Lilley was held on the 15th September 2012.

A Celebration of the Life and Work of Dorothy Hewett (1923-2002)
A Celebration of the Life and Work of Merv Lilley by his daughter
 
==================================
Wikipedia article on Dorothy Hewett 


Dorothy Hewett with seashell (photo courtesy of Rozanna Lilley) 
 An unbridled rage to live Dorothy Hewett: poet, playwright, novelist and bohemian, 1923 - 2002. Obit - Sydney Morning Herald
===================================
Rozanna Lilley's album of family photos on Flickr

Merv Lilley & Dorothy Hewett (photo courtesy of Rozanna Lilley)
Biography of Merv Lilley on The Vulgar Press website


Merv Lilley, age 96 years (photo courtesy of Rozanna Lilley)

Obit by Patrick Cornish, The West Australian, 28th September 2016

Eulogy by Rozanna Lilley

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

Dorothy Hewett

Ballad of Norman Brown by Dorothy Hewett  (tune - the Collier Laddie), Singabout 2(3), December 1957





From Jennie Richards, former BMC member, August 2020

I've just been reading December 1957 Singabout on the blog & hadn't realised that Dorothy Hewitt's poem about Norman Brown was published so early. Have I told you that Norman Brown was my first cousin once removed? Norman's mother Laura, and my maternal grandmother Edith, were sisters. My mother was only 5 when Norman died; my middle name is Grace after Norman's sister Dorothy Grace Kidd (Laura had Norman when she was 17 and unmarried, she later married Albert Kidd and they had Dorothy Grace) who died at 15.

Mum often spoke of both Norman and Gracie - Dorothy Grace seems to have been called Gracie - I think she was close to Auntie Laura. Poor Laura; in her mid 40s she had lost both of her children young and in sad circumstances. I don't remember Laura, she died when I had just turned one.

There's always a family story behind every tragedy, even one that makes the history books.

First time I realised that was in December 1979; I had just put Doug to bed and caught the tail end of a story on ABC news about miners marching to a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Norman's death. I rang them and they read out the full story to me, and that's when it hit me - that this was bigger than just a story which had come down in my family.

The first time Kevin and I went to a BMC night ... would have been in about the mid 80s ... Margaret Walters sang that song, I had never known of it. I introduced myself and told of my connection, which they found interesting.

It's an odd feeling - difficult to describe - that something in your family you have grown up knowing about is considered "history", in fact a very important part of labour history, as it's the only time police have fired on demonstrating workers in Australia. Before we left Sydney we saw an exhibition called "Policing the Depression" at the Police and Justice Museum near Circular Quay; part of it was devoted to the industrial trouble on the Hunter Valley coalfields in the 1920s, including Norman's death.

Jennie also sings Graham Seal's The country knows the rest, another song about Norman Brown.

===============

Merv Lilley  (8 songs)

Singabout 1(1) Summer 1956, p.7


Cane Killed Abel by Merv Lilley    Music: Chris Kempster, Singabout 1(1)

We Gave A Fair Go by Merv Lilley, another version of his popular Ho - Give a Go. Singabout 1(1)





The Bushwhackers singing Ho Give A Fair Go at the first Singabout night, 1955
Left to right - Harry Kay (mouth organ), Brian Loughlin (lagerphone), Alec Hood, Jack Barrie, with John Meredith (accordion) behind Alec. 
Singabout 1(1), p.5, published January 1956.

The first Singabout night was held sometime between October & early December 1955 on a very rainy night (source - December 1955 Newsletter)

Sat 26th November according to Jamie Carlin's 1955 diary.  (unpublished, Sept 2024)

The Farmer up a Tree by Merv Lilley (tune Jimmy Riddle) Singabout 1(1)

Bound for Darling Harbour by Merv Lilley, Singabout 1(1)

Eight Bells by Merv Lilly   (tune - Ring the Bell, watchman), Singabout 1(2), Autumn 1956

The Rona's Last Trip by Merv Lilley   Music: John Arcot, Singabout 1(4), Spring 1956

Definitely Barred by Merv Lilley, Singabout 3(1),  Summer 1958

Farewell Snowy Lamb - words, Merv Lilley, (tune - The Dying Stockman), Singabout 3(2), Autumn 1959

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mulga Wire, no. 153, Singabout insert, 4 pages, October 2002.








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