Echoes of the long paddock: A folksong celebration | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Echoes of the long paddock: A folksong celebration

This special concert performance salutes our 70th anniversary as custodian of Australia's folksong heritage and oral history.

We offer a unique digitised treasure-trove of songs, music and stories collected by folklorists from everyday Australians. These recordings are signposts to the understanding and appreciation of our ever-changing national identity. 

Legendary singers Martyn Wyndham-Read and Warren Fahey AM, accompanied by musicians Marcus Holden and Garry Steel, will join distinguished historian Bill Gammage AM to celebrate some of the highlights of the collection.

A painting of two stockman riding horses and holding whips high in the air, capturing a bull

The Queenslander, ‘Cutting Out’ A Fat Beast, from Notes on Queensland, April 1894. Colour digital version by Warren Fahey.

The Queenslander, ‘Cutting Out’ A Fat Beast, from Notes on Queensland, April 1894. Colour digital version by Warren Fahey.

About the performers

Martyn Wyndham-Read is a recognised English vocalist with a clear and well-rounded approach to singing. He has released over thirty solo albums during his career and worked in Australia between1958 and 1967.

Warren Fahey AM is one of Australia’s leading musicians in the folk music scene and a proponent of the bush traditions of singing and yarning. His distinguished career includes work as a historian, author, record producer and actor. In 1996, his contributions to music earned him Australia's highest honour, the Order of Australia.

Marcus Holden is a musician specialising in string instruments, with an affinity for the fiddle, mandolin and banjo. He has performed for albums, commercials and films.

Garry Steele is an accordion wizard and master of the piano. He has performed with artists such as Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham, and has a wide musical repertoire including country, classical and jazz.

Bill Gammage AM is a historian known for his work on military history and Aboriginal land management. He is Emeritus Professor at the Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University.

Event details
01 Apr 2026
6:00pm – 7:30pm
Free
Theatre
Accessibility
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon Assistance animals welcome
Assistive learning icon Assistive learning icon Hearing induction loop
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon Wheelchair accessible

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