Monday 19 February 2018

Death of Dr Harry Gardner (1927-2018), Victorian Folk Music Club

Click on pictures for full-screen image

A Memorial Celebration for Harry will be held at 11am Saturday 24th February at the East Ringwood Hall (Knaith Road, behind childcare centre), East Ringwood.


Harry was a Life member & had been President of Victorian Folk Music Club (est. 1959 as Melbourne Bush Music Club) and will be sorely missed by friends & fellow musicians.


He was co-author with Peter Ellis of the book Music Makes Me Smile that includes the music from the Nariel Valley in Victoria and in particular the music of Con Klippel. Harry transcribed all the music notation and also contributed some of the text.

Harry also wrote some of his own songs and was part of, or started a few groups through the VFMC, including the Fireside Fiddlers who in more recent years met at his place to play music by ear.

He was part of the Billabong Band, a club band that played at various events and accompanied the Colonial Dance Balls. The Billabong Band was
established in 1955 and is Australia's oldest Bush Band.

He loved playing music with the people and so had a number of groups practise at his house in recent years and also busked regularly at the East Ringwood Shops.

He attended many festivals including the National Folk Festival each year and enjoyed attending the Bush Traditions Gatherings from the first in 2006 until his health kept him away in recent years.

This year he celebrated his 91st birthday and his music friends and family gathered at his house to celebrate.


Goodbye, friend.

In October 2019 Harry was in Sydney for medical treatment & he & his son Henry attended the Beecroft dance - see photos below

Vale Dr Harry Gardner (1927 - 2018)



    1.  2006 Harry with his grandson

2.  2006 - Dave Johnson, Kathy McMahon, Glenys from far north Qld, Harry

3.  2006 - Julie, Harry & Don Brian 

4.   2007  

5.  2007   Session in the courtyard


6.   2007

7.  2007

8.  2007 - Harry & Helen Romeo

9.  2008


10.  2009

11.  2009

12. 
In 2009 Harry presented Waltzing Matilda using his late wife's marionettes

13.

14.

15.

16.


17.  lesson for 7-year old Claire

18.  2010  Garry Tooth & Harry

19.  2011
 



20. 2011 - Harry with his son Henry




21. 2011 - Henry

22.  2012  Harry with the Harry Gardner Backing Band at the Sunday night concert


23.   2012

24.  2012

25.   2013

26.  2013 - Helen, Harry & Glenys


27.   2013 - Harry with his son Henry & grandson
(Photos - Sandra Nixon)
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Harry & Henry at October 2017 Beecroft Bush Dance, photos 28-33


28.  


29.

(Photos  28 & 29 - Sharyn Mattern)
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30.

31. 
Barangaroo (Chris Poleson, Allen Davis, Marianna Mitchell, Ralph Pride) with caller John Short & Harry

32.   
Barangaroo (Chris Poleson, Allen Davis, Marianna Mitchell, Ralph Pride) with caller John Short & Henry

33. Henry & Harry

(Photos 30 to 33,  Mike Young)

34. Celebration of Harry's Life (BryceD photo)

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39 & 40 - Australian Tradition- Newsletter of the Victorian Folk Music Club Inc, April 2018
 

 40.
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Monday 12 February 2018

Colin Fong Collection - Heritage Week Ball, 1984

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Heritage week was 9-14 April in 1984, which can almost be read on the banner.

Thanks to Colin for sharing these photos.



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Bob Bolton Collection - Crookwell Collected Music weekend, 26th April 1993

Click on pictures for full-screen image

Photos found in an envelope, labelled Binda 930426

Binda - the town of the Boxing Day Ball where
Ben Hall, John Gilbert & John Dunn danced with those plucky girls at the Flag Hotel (now Rose Cottage)
From the Archives - Pioneer Music & Dance at Binda, 23rd May 1992.


Mulga Wire, 96, Apr 1993, p.13

1.   concertina  (
930426 - 1)

2.        
(930426 - 4)

3.   
horse     (930426 - 5)

4. 
Dave de Santi 2nd from left    (930426 - 7)

5.            (
930426 - 9)

6. Pat Bolton,   
(930426 - 37)


7.    
(930426 - 38)


8.  
(930426 - 43)

scanned from 8 prints
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BINDA BALL, 1864  (words John Manifold, music John Harpley)
There was never a dance like our Boxing Day ball,
For we found, at the height of the fun,
That the Monks girls were dancing with Gilbert and Hall,
And Christina McKinnon with Dunn.

The bushranger’s gold in their candlelight flowed,
And we joined in their generous caprice;
But storekeeper Morris ran off down the road
To Bathurst, to warn the police.

'Bad scran to the blackguard!' cried Margaret Monks,
'There’s time for just one event more
It’s a matter of teaching good manners to skunks
Come on, and we’ll burn down his store!'

When the traps and the traitor rode up with the dawn
The store had been burnt to the ground,
The dancing was over, the curtains were drawn,
And the bushrangers couldn’t be found.

They arrested Christina and Ellen and Peg,
But we heard the girls pluckily call,
'It’s cheap at the price to have shaken a leg
With John Gilbert, Jack Dunn and Ben Hall!'


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