Wake for John Dengate, Friend in Hand Hotel, Glebe, 9th August 2013

(photos Sandra Nixon)

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6.  Roy Elbourne & Alex Hood


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9. Miguel Heatwole


10.  Dave de Santi, Jason Roweth, John Broomhall, Peter Mace



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13.   Alex Hood


14. Annette & Alex Hood


15.  Annette Hood



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17.  CJ Shaw


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22. Miguel Heatwole, Dale Dengate & Jason Roweth
 

23.  Dave de Santi


24. Roy Elbourne, Dennis O'Keeffe, Pat Hart, Leyne Elbourne


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26.  Dennis O'Keeffe



27 .  Jack Chapman, Sharyn Mattern, Alex Hood


28.  Jack Chapman, Sandra Nixon


29.  Jason Roweth with mike



30.  Johnny Spillane


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32.  Ray Elbourne, Alex Hood, Sandra Nixon, Annette Hood


33. Seamus Gill


34. Miguel Heatwole


35. Miguel Heatwole


36.  Miguel Heratwole






37.  Miguel Heatwole & Jason Roweth


38. Pat Drummond


39. Pat Hart


40.  Ray Gurney


41.  Russell Heatwole


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50.  Triantan


51.  Peter Jenner reads tribute from his brother Doug.


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Funeral Afternoon Tea for John Dengate, 9th August 2013

 

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14. Norm Merrigan, Jason Roweth

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16. Tania de Santi, Alex Hood

17.  Anthony Woolcott, Pam Merrigan, Bruce Cameron

18. Johnny Spillane, John Broomhall, Anne & Dennis O'Keeffe

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22. Ann & Frank Maher, Ronda Carlin

23. Brian Dunnett, Frank Maher

24. Colin Fong

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27.  Dale Dengate, Dennis & Anne O'Keeffe

28. Dennis O'Keeffe

29. Dennis O'Keeffe, Russell Hannah

30.  Frank Maher & Brian Dunnett

31.  Jamie Carlin

32.  Judy Pinder

33. Jason Roweth, Dot Dawson, Sam O'Brien

34. Sylvie Salisbury, unidentified, Tom Salisbury

35. Alex & Annette Hood

36.  Ann Maher, Barbara Gibbons, Ronda Carlin, Frank Maher

37.  Frank Maher, George Gibbons, Jamie Carlin, Ann Maher, Barbara Gibbons, Ronda Carlin, friends of the Dengates since the 60s.

(photos Sandra Nixon)

Wayne Richmond's photos of the funeral & afternoon tea

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Found onTROVE - Part 4. Ballads of Coal Miners (1939)

Click on pictures for full-screen image



thanks to Mark Gregory for sending the link to this article.

Ballads of Coal Miners (1939)


Lurid flashed the awful warning,
Down the depths of Pittston's gloom,
Dirgeful were the bursting firetongues
Ringing down the miners' doom.  


This is a verse typical of those which have been collected in the coal mining districts in America by George Korson and compiled in book form.

His book, "Minstrels of the Mine Patch,: has just been published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. "Minstrels of the Mine Patch" is said to be the first collection of miners' ballads and songs to be made in America. Not the least interesting feature of Korson's book is his series of introductions to the several song groups.

He has interpolated a number of prose anecdotes of the mines, and these pages of prose make a vivid mise en scene unfamiliar to most.

In the era in which the collected ballads were composed men were exploited at pittance wages. They were mulcted in the company stores at which they were forced to buy. At night they went home to hovels, only less grimy than the pits they had left.

It is not to be wondered at that in America trade unionism began in the collieries. Nor is It to be wondered that the ballads of the mines should exhibit such uniform bravery. Their artistic accomplishment aside, the bravery of the ballads and songs collected by Korson is their most impressive characteristic. The miners' gratefulness to the union is celebrated in a ballad called "On Johnny Mitchell's Train," of which this is the chorus:

I'll bid you all adieu now.
Let you bid me the same
The strike is nearly o'er.
With Joy I'm near insane.
Heres health unto the union.
Which is very strong, they say;
Likewise the conductors
On Johnny Mitchell's train.


There do not appear to have been any ballads or songs peculiar to the mining districts in Australia. One song known on every field is the "Red Flag," but this, of course, was not composed here, and does not hold the significance of those songs written by miners in America. The writers of ballads and songs in America have usually composed their pieces following tragic disasters, or, as the ballad expressing appreciation to the union suggests, after long strikes. 

We have had long strikes in the industry in Australia, but our tragedies, numerous though they have been, and sometimes of considerable magnitude; are, happily, not to be compared with the major disasters in American mines. There have been, and are now, in the industry, those amateur poets who have composed verses about work mates and parts of the mines in which they are employed, but these have been purely personal, or of merely local interest.

We have coal-mine heroes here-the men who have braved black gas-filled mines following explosions, and who nave worked unceasingly for hours and hours to extricate men buried beneath tons of coal and timber, and facing extreme danger themselves. 
They are respected by their fellow men. No ballads or songs are written of their deeds. Perhaps it is not the Australian way.

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Notes - From the NSW Newspaper The Newcastle Sun 7 Jan 1939 p. 5. 

The author of this review did not know of the collections of Australian mining songs we now have access to. The authors of those songs include the work of the Wollongong poet Melinda Kendall, the Newcastle poet Josiah Cocking, the poems and songs of Jock Graham, the wharfie poet Ernest Antony, the more recent work of Merv Lilley and Dorothy Hewett, and of course those of Don Henderson. The article does however show that a daily newspaper in Newcastle could carry such a review knowing that it would be read and appreciated by its local readers.
 
Warren Fahey and others "Man of the Earth ~ Songs and Ballads of the Australian Mining Industry" 1974 LP



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Google Books - George Korson, Minstrels of the Mine Patch published by the University of Pennsylvania Press, 1938.


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25th Anniversary - Australian Fancy Dress Ball at the Burland Community Hall, Newtown, 1979 Bush Music Festival

Click on pictures for full-screen image

Extract from 1979 Bush Music Festival program.


Thanks to Julie Bishop for starting the conversation & to Helen Romeo & Ann Pidcock for their memories and photos. 


If you come across a photo of two delightful Gumnut babies, I would love to see it. It was the highlight of a ?Ball long ago, when Sally and Stuart were dressed as such, and danced Frogpuddles together. I can only hope that Bob caught it.

Julie 
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I remember the Ball - I believe it was an Australian costume ball the Friday night before a Festival.... I think maybe the 1980 BMC Festival. Anne Pidcock would remember. I came as a lagerphone and Bob came as a bush base. Sally and Stuart came as gumnut babies. I remember Ann D'arcy came as Elizabeth Gould. Someone came as a "dunnycan" man wearing shorts and a singlet and a large can on is shoulder and peanut butter smeared on his arms  I will have a look at my photos - I don't think I have a photo of the gumnut babies but I might be able to date it and then you can look up Bob's photos....

Cheers

Helen

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I'm sorry but I don't have a photo of the Gumnut Babies but a professional photographer was also taking photos on the night, so I'm sure there is one around somewhere. Sally and Stuart would be sure to have it. I'm attaching a photo that was taken of David and myself - we went as Jackie Howe and Lola Montez.

The occasion was a Fancy Dress Ball in September 1979, as part of the Bush Music Festival that year and the venue was the Burland Community Hall in Newtown. I believe the hall has now been converted to offices.  

It was a great night. There was one lady I remember, a friend of Helen's, who came as "Bush Music" and she somehow managed to decorate herself with leaves and twigs plus sheet music. It was very inventive. But Snugglepot and Cuddlepie really stole the show. I think Sally's mother helped with the costumes. 

Cheers, Anne

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Thanks Anne - I knew you would remember.  What a great photo of the two of you!!

Just had a look in my photo album and these two photos are sitting next to another photo labeled BMC Festival 1979 (also included for Sandra) and then the next lot of photos are from the 1980 Subscription Ball. So it has to be the 1979 Festival!!

My friend, Marilyn came as "Bush Music" - I am dressed as a lagerphone (took me ages to sew (yes sew not staple) those bottle tops to my skirt and vest) and Bob came as a bush bass. Sally's Mum did do a great job with all the costumes she made.

Memories!

Cheers

Helen

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1.  Helen (lagerphone) & Bob Brain (bush bass)     (Helen Romeo collection) 

 
2.Marilyn (Bush Music) & Helen Brain (lagerphone)    (Helen Romeo collection)

3. Dave Johnson (Jackie Howe) & Anne Pidcock (Lola Montez)   (Anne Pidcock collection) 

4. Extract from review of Festival, Stringybark & Greenhide, 1(4), 1979

Other pictures will be added as found or received!

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