Photo by David Harris
Port Fairy Folk Festival launched in 1977 in the historic town of Port Fairy on Victoria’s southwest coast, just past Warrnambool.
The festival has grown considerably over the last 40-odd years, not least in terms of its reputation, which is established around the world.
The festival is a not-for-profit event and is run largely by a committee of volunteers. Caroline Moore joined as Program Director in 2017, taking over from founder Jamie McKew. Moore paints a picture of what the festival was like at its outset.
“The history is quite incredible,” she says. “Jamie is actually a Geelong local and he was a member of the Geelong folk club and they decided, ‘wouldn’t it be a great idea to have a festival’. Jamie had family connections down in Port Fairy and it’s as simple as that – that’s how this gorgeous event began.”
Folkie started on the back of a truck in the Port Fairy botanic gardens with something like 300 people in attendance. The present-day Port Fairy Folk Festival fits 12,000 people within the arena and there are a bunch of free activities that happen throughout the village of Port Fairy over the festival weekend.
“Tourism estimates say we get about 20,000 people a day within the township,” says Moore.
The festival’s initial area of interest was Australian and Irish traditional music. It later shifted to encompass world roots and acoustic music and has since opened up to embrace folk music of all cultures, whether it’s from South Africa, Italy, Romania or beyond.
“Of course we celebrate the Celtic and Irish roots of the region – Port Fairy was a very strong Irish community – and of course our local Indigenous people, the Peek Whurrong,” says Moore.
Everyone has their own personal definition of folk music, but there are some key characteristics Moore looks for when assembling the program.
“It’s music and storytelling that reflects the culture of the person who’s composing and or performing it,” she says. “Blues music is really folk music, bluegrass is folk music. It’s something that resonates with a rich history that actually displays and gives you the opportunity to learn about that culture.
“In Australia and in certain communities [folk music is] very much defined as acoustic guitar or Celtic music, but it’s not; it goes beyond that. It is music that’s got a rich, rich history that spans decades or centuries.”
Moore’s definition is backed up by next year’s festival lineup. The first artist announcement included American acts The Blind Boys of Alabama, John McCutcheon and Patty Griffin, Britain’s YolanDa Brown, Ireland’s Eleanor McEvoy, and local artists C.W. Stoneking and The Maes.
“The Blind Boys of Alabama, to have them in Port Fairy for the first time will just be extraordinary. They’re amazing voices,” Moore says. “Similarly Patty Griffin is incredible. She’s one of the most amazing songwriters.
“C.W. Stoneking is an incredible Australian artist who takes you back to the 1920s the way he performs and plays. It’s amazing.”
The second announcement underlined Port Fairy’s commitment to celebrating the music of First Nations people from modern day Australia, Canada, Timor Leste and New Zealand. Among the participating First Nations Australian artists are Archie Roach (who’ll be joined by Paul Grabowsky and Sally Dastey), Dan Sultan, Benny Walker, Emily Wurramara, Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse.
“I’m so thrilled to be presenting [the First Nations program],” Moore says. “Last year I had the privilege of going to Halifax, Nova Scotia and I met Hubert Francis who’s an Indigenous Elder and he did the welcome to territory and it was just beautiful.”
Moore has convinced Francis – an Elsipogtog First Nation Elder of New Brunswick, Canada – to come down for next year’s festival, as well as Maori artist Mihirangi Fleming with Māmā Mihirangi & the Māreikura and Timor Leste’s Ego Lemos.
“They’re all wonderful artists in their own right and they’re going to be doing incredible concerts,” says Moore.
Port Fairy Folk Festival comes to the Victorian beachside town from Friday March 6 to Monday March 9, 2020. Check out the lineup and grab your tickets via the festival website.
