Bundy Mob Memories
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 10:41 am
In 1996 I began reading in the local newspaper about The Bundy Muster that was to be held in March and it appeared that a large gathering of poets would be converging on Bundaberg, who wrote rhyming verse and performed their poems in various categories in competition.
I contacted a chap by the name of Neil McArthur who lived not far from me in Bargara and he dropped over for a visit. He said he liked my poems and that I should come along to the Muster. Neil was a bloke with a way out sense of humour and a great comic who later went on to pursue a career out of his performances. Neil would also do the foreword for my first professionally printed book, “Tales of Uncle Jim.”
I was amazed to find a good gathering of folk, who called themselves bush poets, and what they performed was bush poetry. They had in fact formed an Australian Association and were becoming popular at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and such competitions as the Bundy Muster were on the rise.
I entered the original category and was surprised to pick up a finalist spot.
“Well that’s a start I thought.”
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... ccc6c7c0b8
Looking back, I think that my sense of dress needed a little attention.
I continued to be a part of the Bundaberg writers group, but there was thought that a Bundaberg Poets Association should be formed to concentrate and help established and emerging poets and also co-ordinate the 1997 Bundy Muster as the previous Co-ordinator had moved away.
The Gympie Muster held in August had also incorporated bush poetry in their format and a competition was held to seek the King of Rhyme. I had written a poem called Basher Brogan’s Pride and was keen to give it a run. It proved to be a rather daunting task as I walked onto the stage with a huge audience out front only to find I couldn’t see anyone for the lights. So I figured you just had to get on with it. Sadly I had a blank part way through but figured that it was all part of parcel of the game. Even bobby Miller found he couldn’t remember one of his while performing.
In the meantime I continued to enjoy being a part of this new scene and one could keep up to date with what was happening Nationwide by subscribing to the Australian Bush Poets Associations Newsletter that was edited by Ron Selby of Drayton, Toowoomba.
The Australian Bush Poets Association had been established back in 1994 when it became obvious that there were a number of poets converging on Tamworth for its Country Music Festival and were performing at various venues around the town.
A meeting was held and as a result the Association was formed and it is always joked about how they had their first competition in a phone box and there were still seats spare.
In September of 1996 I travelled down to Toowoomba to participate in a new competition being co-ordinated by Ron Selby at the Downs Hotel and still very much the new comer I must admit.
Bush Poetry competitions were held in a format where it was divided into different categories such as Traditional, Contemporary and Original. I had a go at the traditional and original sections in that competition and was chuffed on my second performance on a stage to take out third place in both categories.
It was at this competition that I was approached by a chap wearing shorts and thongs and asked if anyone could have a go at this poetry business. I advised him that he could and he then waited his turn and did an old Edward Harrington poem called, Pulling Tits and the crowds loved it. It turned out to be a bloke by the name of Peter Riddle and I would have a lot of association with him over the years and invited him to join our shows on a number of occassions.
The following month I joined two Bundaberg poets, Liz Ward and Carol Reffold, on a trip down to the Mapleton Yarn Festival held on the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast. Some poets were making a name for themselves and becoming popular performers at such festivals and it was great to meet them as they were a friendly community.
There were different categories such as The Yarn Spinning, What Cheeses Me Off and the Ernie Setterfield Club Challenge. The Club Challenge involved two poets from a Poetry Club and each had to perform a poem. Liz and Carol joined up and fortunately the rules allowed me to represent myself twice with two different poems and much to my delight I took home the trophy.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... 1a27f15f1b
Over this period of time I had learnt a few tips from attending bush poetry workshops and I was intent on reviewing my early self-published book, “Tales of Uncle Jim.” I printed a new release and decided to launch it at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 1997. Neil McArthur had kindly written the foreword for me and had been a source of encouragement.
I contacted a chap by the name of Neil McArthur who lived not far from me in Bargara and he dropped over for a visit. He said he liked my poems and that I should come along to the Muster. Neil was a bloke with a way out sense of humour and a great comic who later went on to pursue a career out of his performances. Neil would also do the foreword for my first professionally printed book, “Tales of Uncle Jim.”
I was amazed to find a good gathering of folk, who called themselves bush poets, and what they performed was bush poetry. They had in fact formed an Australian Association and were becoming popular at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and such competitions as the Bundy Muster were on the rise.
I entered the original category and was surprised to pick up a finalist spot.
“Well that’s a start I thought.”
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... ccc6c7c0b8
Looking back, I think that my sense of dress needed a little attention.
I continued to be a part of the Bundaberg writers group, but there was thought that a Bundaberg Poets Association should be formed to concentrate and help established and emerging poets and also co-ordinate the 1997 Bundy Muster as the previous Co-ordinator had moved away.
The Gympie Muster held in August had also incorporated bush poetry in their format and a competition was held to seek the King of Rhyme. I had written a poem called Basher Brogan’s Pride and was keen to give it a run. It proved to be a rather daunting task as I walked onto the stage with a huge audience out front only to find I couldn’t see anyone for the lights. So I figured you just had to get on with it. Sadly I had a blank part way through but figured that it was all part of parcel of the game. Even bobby Miller found he couldn’t remember one of his while performing.
In the meantime I continued to enjoy being a part of this new scene and one could keep up to date with what was happening Nationwide by subscribing to the Australian Bush Poets Associations Newsletter that was edited by Ron Selby of Drayton, Toowoomba.
The Australian Bush Poets Association had been established back in 1994 when it became obvious that there were a number of poets converging on Tamworth for its Country Music Festival and were performing at various venues around the town.
A meeting was held and as a result the Association was formed and it is always joked about how they had their first competition in a phone box and there were still seats spare.
In September of 1996 I travelled down to Toowoomba to participate in a new competition being co-ordinated by Ron Selby at the Downs Hotel and still very much the new comer I must admit.
Bush Poetry competitions were held in a format where it was divided into different categories such as Traditional, Contemporary and Original. I had a go at the traditional and original sections in that competition and was chuffed on my second performance on a stage to take out third place in both categories.
It was at this competition that I was approached by a chap wearing shorts and thongs and asked if anyone could have a go at this poetry business. I advised him that he could and he then waited his turn and did an old Edward Harrington poem called, Pulling Tits and the crowds loved it. It turned out to be a bloke by the name of Peter Riddle and I would have a lot of association with him over the years and invited him to join our shows on a number of occassions.
The following month I joined two Bundaberg poets, Liz Ward and Carol Reffold, on a trip down to the Mapleton Yarn Festival held on the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast. Some poets were making a name for themselves and becoming popular performers at such festivals and it was great to meet them as they were a friendly community.
There were different categories such as The Yarn Spinning, What Cheeses Me Off and the Ernie Setterfield Club Challenge. The Club Challenge involved two poets from a Poetry Club and each had to perform a poem. Liz and Carol joined up and fortunately the rules allowed me to represent myself twice with two different poems and much to my delight I took home the trophy.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... 1a27f15f1b
Over this period of time I had learnt a few tips from attending bush poetry workshops and I was intent on reviewing my early self-published book, “Tales of Uncle Jim.” I printed a new release and decided to launch it at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 1997. Neil McArthur had kindly written the foreword for me and had been a source of encouragement.