Discussions on the history and historiography of Australia's New England

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Documenting a folk tradition


Cover of one edition of Russel Ward's The Australian Legend: Arguably the first major work on the Australian folk tradition since Banjo Paterson’s 1905 Old Bush Songs.This is the third in a series on the New England folk tradition

In 1956, the application of Australian historian Russel Ward for a lecturing position at the newly renamed University of NSW was rejected. He had been blackballed for his political beliefs, including his membership of the Communist Party.
"Ward had, UNSW Vice Chancellor J. P. Baxter told council, been 'active in seditious circles in Canberra'."
Ward had, UNSW Vice Chancellor J P Baxter told Council, been “active in seditious circles in Canberra”. The decision to not appoint Ward despite the unanimous recommendation of the selection committee created controversy.

Max Hartwell had been a member of the selection committee. Born at Red Range near Glen Innes where his father was school teacher, Hartwell had studied at the New England University College where he was a member of the first Rugby Union side in 1939.

Hartwell was now Professor of Economic History at UNSW. His political views were diametrically opposed to Ward’s Marxist world view, but he liked and respected Ward and was outraged by the decision. The result was a very public spat culminating in Hatwell’s resignation from UNSW and, subsequently, his move to Oxford.

In 1957, to Ward’s surprise, he received a telegram offering him a lectureship at the University of New England. He would spend the rest of his academic life at UNE.

Ward’s PhD thesis, his THING as he described it in his autobiography, was on “The Ethos and Influence of the Australian pastoral Worker”. In writing, Ward drew very heavily from Australian folk songs and ballads. He did not believe that they were in themselves accurate history, rather that they captured ethos and sprit.

Ward’s research drew him into the nascent folk revival that was taking place especially in Sydney with its musical, literary and political threads. Then, in 1958, Ward published the Australian Legend, arguably the first major work on the Australian folk tradition since Banjo Paterson’s 1905 Old Bush Songs.

The Australian Legend had a major impact and remains in print today. Among other things, it popularized the Australian folk tradition, if with a very particular focus.

Ward retained his interest in Australian folk music and folk traditions. However, changes were also taking place that would blunt both his influence and the Australian folk revival.

One change was the broader nature of the folk revival itself, including overseas influences such as Peter. Paul and Mary. A second change was the emergence of new popular musical forms including rock and roll, the Beatles and the rise of American influenced country music. There were shifts as well in the study of history itself as new topics and fashions emerged.

Russel’s influence did continue. We now come to a new stage in the story, one in which New England researchers and performers take centre stage. 
Note to readers: This post appeared as a column in the Armidale Express Extra on 20 November 2018. I am repeating the columns here with a lag because they are not all on line outside subscription. You can see all the Belshaw World and History Revisited/History Matters columns by clicking here for 2009, here for 2010, here for 2011, here for 2012, here for 2013, here for 2014, here for 2015, here for 2016, here  2017here 2018. 

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi JDB
An important New England performer was the late, great Rev Gary Shearston. Born in Inverell, spent much of his childhood at his grandparents' property in Tenterfield. He later bought the place, and spent much of his later life there. He is probably (unfortunately, in my opinion) remembered now mainly for his deadpan copy of Cole Porter's 'I get a kick out of you', but he was one of the headliners in the '60s folk boom, and was responsible for popularising much Australian folk music, especially convict era music. From there it was an easy switch into protest folk, occasioned largely by anti Vietnam, anti conscription feeling. You mentioned PP and M in an earlier post (I saw them twice), and US influence on Oz folk. They had a hugely popular cover of Shearston's "Sometime Lovin'"; he was also a very talented songwriter. The folk revival was at least partly sponsored by "the Left", I guess because its substance was largely focussed on the underdog, the disenfranchised and the exploited. The Newcastle Workers' Club (destroyed in the great Newcastle Earthquake) had a folk venue called, I think, The Dungeon,or something suitably subterranean. As a teenager, I saw Shearston perform there. Somewhere in a box of memorabilia, I have an autographed photo. I remember him as a really nice bloke. I bet he made a really good country priest.
Cheers
JCW

Jim Belshaw said...

That's very interesting, Judi. On Gary Shearston first. I had come across his singing including Tenterfield - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlhmI_DNHiQ. Another was Shopping on a Saturday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akI-8BUMF7M. Mike McClellan was another local. Saturday Night Dance is based around ATC dances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uaCPH_x6xo. Another McClellan song is There is a Place also sometimes called New England Hills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6QS_yoxYA4

Shearston does seem a really nice bloke and you are lucky with the photo!

I think that you are right on the left and for that the reason you gave. But there were other things involved here that I am trying to tease through at least at a superficial level. In this series I bit of more than I can chew, a new front when I have so many already! Your comment on the Worker's Club was very interesting. I will try to find out more.

Finally on a connected but different topic, what do you know about the Newcastle dance tradition? I have a hypothesis but no evidence!

Johnb said...

Aydrie homestead has to be one for your architectural files Jim, check 12401 Bruxner Hwy, Tenterfield NSW 2372 on Google maps.
‘Tenterfield’ has to be a homage to Country European style. What a wonderful line ‘memory has no curtain’. Whilst listening the thought crossed my mind that a well spring for the New England New State movement could be the strong influence of the Scottish diaspora, a diaspora that extends across the Coastal Ranges down through the valleys of Northern NSW. Both the Dorrigo, Bellinger and Orara valleys were thick with families from that diaspora. A current neighbour has a great grandfather who sailed from Skye in the 1830’s. Like the Prebyterian Church an influence that has faded in this new century.
The Newcastle and Hunter Valley Folk Club appears to have taken over the void left by the demise of the Newcastle Workers Club.
https://www.newcastlehuntervalleyfolkclub.org.au/regular-sessions-a-events/

Anonymous said...

Hi JDB
Email me with what you want to know about N'cle dance. For umpty years, The Palais Royale (now a HUGE KFC) was the family business.

Johnb said...

Here’s a YouTube video of the archeological dig on the site post demolition. Not brilliant in production terms but does give a lot of information about how the site has been used through time. The European history goes back to the charcoal layer from the initial clearing. Before that they have two Aboriginal occupation layers the one directly below the clearance charcoal was particularly rich, one metre square yielded 54 artifacts and was judged subjectively to cover the last two thousand years. They had no idea as to what dating might apply to the much deeper settlement layer.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lOzURzlQFXY

This second link is a digital walk around the Newcastle of 1825 contructed from one of Joseph Lycetts water colours and follows on quite nicely as the Palais Royal site had been first occupied in 1810.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M0gPJnfszwI

Jim Belshaw said...

john, That's a nice house. But I didn't know that it was Garry Shearston's house! https://www.tenterfieldstar.com.au/story/1687090/icon-farewelled/ I haven't been able to find a photo that i can copy

Jim Belshaw said...

Now JCW, I will do that! My thanks. May take a day or so

I enjoyed both videos, John.