Folk music has a long history and continues to be performed today at festivals such as Port Fairy and Maldon.  In Bendigo, groups have entertained at the Gold Mines Hotel and in the QEO grandstand. Legendary American folk singer Joan Baez has also recently appeared on national TV.

Hugh Anderson, in his book The Story of Australian Folksong, tells of the origins of the genre in early 19th century England when cheap newspapers were unknown but the hunger for news and opinion was satisfied by ballad broadsides. The latest facts and rumours of war, politics and crime were spread in this way.

Many of the ballads reveal the sympathies of their authors and throw an interesting light on conditions and attitudes in England.

The sellers of the broadsides usually walked a street in pairs, with their eyes searching for anyone with a spare coin, singing the alternative lines and joint chorus of some topical ditty set to a popular air.

Both the writers and singers were keen students of the concert rooms, for it was from the songs performed in those places they gathered new material. 

In Bendigo, at the famous Shamrock Hotel, self-styled ‘Colonial Minstrel’ Charles Thatcher entertained the gold miners with his parodies set to London music hall music.

The hotel was as big as any in London.

Songs such as The Jolly Puddlers, Green New Chum, Bendigo Mac, Where’s Your Licence and Song of the Trap were collected by Hugh Anderson and others.

In Bendigo, famous musician and collector Peter Ellis, with the Wedderburn Old Timers and Emu Creek Bush Band, made countless recordings of folk songs from all over Australia.

Another well-known collector John Meredith wrote several books on folk music, including Bushwacker Broadsides, Songs from the Kelly Country, Songs from the Bush, Authentic Australian Bush Ballads, Reedy River Songbook and, with Hugh Anderson, The Folk Songs of Australia.

The October 2 Bendigo Historical Society meeting will be held in the Bendigo TAFE Theatrette at 2pm.

Keith McHenry will speak about famous musician and collector, John Meredith, which will be a tribute to his work and that of Peter Ellis.