Con Klippel
Con Klippel, 1909-1975 from Nariel Victoria, provided details of some of the Australian tunes in this archive. Con lived most of his life in Nariel valley where he worked variously as a Rep for Rawleighs, motor bike rep, insurance salesman, fence builder, mechanic, milking cows, splitting posts, and general farm work. During WWII he moved to Melbourne. After returning to Nariel he managed a fleet of school busses between Cudgewa and Corryong. His interests included fishing, rifle shooting, dances, playing for dances, cricket, pushbike riding, football and tennis. He trapped rabbits for pocket money.
Harry Gardner, writing in "Music Makes Me Smile", p52, reports that Con was the composer of a number of tunes : "Arethusa Trail", "Beat and Me", "Con Klippel's Gypsy Tap", "Five To One And She'll Be Home", "Grandad's Towong Hotel", "Me Smokey Smokey", "Music Makes Me Smile" (one step and waltz), "Old Nariel Station", "Our Flutina", "Over the Gibb", and "The Voice I heard from Charlie"
Con played a number of instruments; Button Accordion, piano accordion, fiddle, concertina, tin whistle,, drums, mouth organ, banjo-mandolin, and piano.
In March 1967 he led Con Klippel's Old Time Band.
