Chris Sullivan
Chris Sullivan (1953-2023), collected Australian folk music, folk-songs and stories extensively during the 1980s and 1990s, focusing particularly on the rural areas of eastern Australia. Chris was a skilled musician who played a range of instruments including fiddle, melodeon and concertinas. He worked extensively with other noted collectors, including John Meredith, and Dave de Hugard. He also played and promoted traditional Australian music and songs. A number of tunes from his collection [1] are included in this archive.
As part of his immersion in and engagement with this genre he formed the "Horton River Band" with Barry McDonald, Mark Rummery, Cathy Ovenden and others to interview, play and record the tunes of Charlie Batchelor.
The Chris Sullivan Collection is held by the National Library of Australia, Canberra. The collection consists of recordings relating to Australian folk music, folk-songs, folklore, recitations and reminiscences from country areas of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. It comprises some 760 recordings including 732 tape reels, 28 digital audio recordings and two sound discs. It represents a significant body of work and bears testament to Sullivan's focus and commitment to recording Australia's folk lore and its attendant traditions over a 40 year period.
