by Paul #7
The Settlers "Songs of the Snowy Mountains"
CD rip 1999 VBR 160-224.
In 1949, the Australian Government commenced The Snowy Mountains Scheme in the Australian Alps primarily to divert water into the inland and for the production of hydro-electricity. It involved the construction of 16 dams, 7 power station and 225 km of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts. Over 100,000 people worked on the scheme and 120 workers died during construction. The greater majority of those workers were migrants coming from many parts of the world and included many persons displaced in Europe during the Second World War.
Three of the workers were Ulick O'Boyle (a first-aid officer from Ireland); his wife Anne Rutherford (English); and Peter Barry (also English). They formed a singing group called "The Settlers" to perform songs written by Ulick O'Boyle.
Ulick wrote his songs from within the context of the Scheme and the Australian Alps touching on the earlier settlers in the area and the people and towns displaced by the dams and chronicled the lives and, sometimes, the deaths of the workers. Their original audience target was their fellow workers and so many of these songs reflect on the lives and the music of the migrant workers. It all started out as a bit of a hobby and grew from there. Their first album "sings Songs of the Snowy Mountains" was released in 1966 and their subsequent album "sings More Songs of the Snowy Mountains" followed on the success of the first.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Scheme in 1999, these two albums were re-released on the one CD under the title "Songs of the Snowy Mountains" which is the rip I present here.
CD rip 1999 VBR 160-224.
In 1949, the Australian Government commenced The Snowy Mountains Scheme in the Australian Alps primarily to divert water into the inland and for the production of hydro-electricity. It involved the construction of 16 dams, 7 power station and 225 km of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts. Over 100,000 people worked on the scheme and 120 workers died during construction. The greater majority of those workers were migrants coming from many parts of the world and included many persons displaced in Europe during the Second World War.
Three of the workers were Ulick O'Boyle (a first-aid officer from Ireland); his wife Anne Rutherford (English); and Peter Barry (also English). They formed a singing group called "The Settlers" to perform songs written by Ulick O'Boyle.
Ulick wrote his songs from within the context of the Scheme and the Australian Alps touching on the earlier settlers in the area and the people and towns displaced by the dams and chronicled the lives and, sometimes, the deaths of the workers. Their original audience target was their fellow workers and so many of these songs reflect on the lives and the music of the migrant workers. It all started out as a bit of a hobby and grew from there. Their first album "sings Songs of the Snowy Mountains" was released in 1966 and their subsequent album "sings More Songs of the Snowy Mountains" followed on the success of the first.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Scheme in 1999, these two albums were re-released on the one CD under the title "Songs of the Snowy Mountains" which is the rip I present here.
posted by Lizardson at 10:03 PM
7 Comments:
This is really interesting, my Uncle was one of those workers, he travelled from Ireland to work on the scheme and spent many happy years there before returning home considerably richer and full of good tall tales and tragic stories. Thanks for this.
Wow... I really enjoyed this! I even went looking for more of their work, but was disappointed. Where can I buy any of their work?
I read a great bio of Peter Barry at www.barrysters.com
Thank you!
DJ
Sorry DJ but I don't thing that there is any more which is a big pity.
こんにちは。ご無沙汰しています、美鏡乱です。とは言っても2,3回の書き込みでしかもかなり間が空いていますので覚えていないかも知れませんね(＾-＾;)
今日、手持ちのMP3を整理していましたらFairport Conventionの2ndと5thが抜けていることに気付いて「どこかにないかな～」とググってみたら何故かこちらに私めが初めて書き込んだコメント（Beggar's Hill）に遭遇しました。何かある種の偶然を感じた勢いでこうして書き込みさせて頂いた次第です。
こちらにはちょくちょくお邪魔していたのですが、こうした偶然でもないとなかなか書込みって出来ないものですね。初の書込みから１年半も経っていて、時の流れの早さを痛感しました。
近頃はよく巡回していたオールド・ロック系のBlog（xxxrockrula、Dead End Mp3 ,Acorde Final、Lost-In-Tyme などなど･･･）が閉鎖されてしまい寂しさを感じていました。Lizardsonさんも好きで始めたこととはいえ、書込みがなかなか億劫になることもあるかも知れませんが、いい記事を期待していますのでこれからも頑張って下さい！
Thank you for making this hard-to-obtain album available.
I met Urlich, Ann and Peter one Saturday afternoon in 1969 when they were living in Bondi. A University friend was very good friends with Ann having met her through her father's pub in Tumut and she took me to meet them.
I had a great time listening to an impropmtu jam session including an awesome version of "Lily Marlene".
This CD and others composed by my father Ulick, can be purchased from myself at Monaro Books & Music, 49 Vale St, Cooma NSW 2630 or Ph 02 5452 4225. All proceeds go to Ulick.
Thank you for your support,
Regards, Shannon O'Boyle
I was brought up with this music and the album is very dear to us as a family, it is a wonderful joy to have listened to and I smile everytime I hear it.
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