Footscray Folk: A Singout featuring the pioneers of the sixties Australian folk scene
Description
On Saturday 7 March 2026 at 6.30pm, we will celebrate the Lumsden Family and the local folk music scene which connected Melbourne to the world.
This will be the last opportunity to see these legends of Australian folk. This is Martyn Wyndham-Read’s final ever tour of Australia. Margret RoadKnight and David Lumsden no longer regularly perform. Rounding out the bill is the local group The O’Hanlons. This is a special one-off event taking place in the beautiful Bluestone Hall in Footscray, at 30a Pickett Street. It's not to be missed...and who knows what will happen at the hootenanny to close the show?
A “singout”, a “hootenanny”, these are words that came out of the traditions of the folk scene – at its most simple it is people coming together to share culture. Join us for an evening of storytelling about the emergence of the Melbourne folk scene. Finger food, drinks and a one-off rare display of rare historical artefacts from the local folk scene.
Also available will be ‘The Black Death’ a rare and elusive beverage from the sixties Melbourne folk scene...which some advocates are campaigning to be heritage listed.
All proceeds to support local history activities.
Media contact:
Alex Ettling
0416 493 506
Lineup
David Lumsden
David Lumsden is a member of “the first family of folk”, what has been described as Australia’s answer to the Seegers. David first performed publicly in 1958, and was one of the pioneers of the Australian folk revival. David sang with Pete Seeger in 1963, and was a fixture at most of the early folk events in Melbourne, including at the Reata where he first met Martyn Wyndham-Read in 1961, and the Emerald Hill Theatre where he shared bills with Margret RoadKnight. David’s playing was on a number of the early and influential folk records, including Moreton Bay and Basic Wage Dream.
Martyn Wyndham-Read
Martyn Wyndham-Read has released over thirty albums and is recognised for his polished and rounded style of singing. He is equally at home singing sensitive age-old ballads and the often raucous songs of the shearers and drovers on the spree. Born in Sussex, England, in 1942, he lived and worked in Australia from 1958 to 1967. He became one of the early folk revival’s most popular performers and a feature at festivals, clubs and on radio. He has returned to Australia regularly. This will be his final Australian tour.
Margret RoadKnight
Margret RoadKnight played her first show in 1963 at the Emerald Hill Theatre. In the 70s and early 80s, she released a series of acclaimed albums. Her signature song Girls In Our Town, written by Bob Hudson, became an Australian top 20 hit in early 1976. Margret’s version has become an Australian standard, recently entered into the Sounds Of Australian Collection in the National Film and Sound Archive. Margret has shared stages with Archie Roach, Renee Geyer, John Martyn, Fairport Convention and others. In 2018, Margret received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the inaugural Australian Women In Music Awards.
The O'Hanlons
The O’Hanlons are custodians of traditional music and accompanying rituals from Ireland, Georgia, Italy, Sardinia and Corsica. Inspired by their direct encounters with these traditions, they are awakening ancestral songs and culture within their family and creating experiences that invite others to do the same. They have supported acts such as Darren Hanlon and perform regularly in Footscray, alongside the Footscray Hotel Choir.
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