Ray Mulligan
Ray Mulligan (1950- ), was a driving force behind the creation of this Archive. He collected, arranged, transcribed, converted to abc and played some of the Australian tunes in this archive.
Ray Mulligan was born in Penola, South Australia. In his formative years, he participated in family sessions around a piano and received piano lessons at primary school. His paternal grandfather played concertina and melodeon and made a living as a bullocky and wheat farmer. His maternal grandmother was a talented musician who played for silent movies.
After finishing school, Mulligan pursued an education in Adelaide and then Birmingham. He eventually found work in Canberra, where he met Bruce Millar, who encouraged him to buy a melodeon and then learn to play it. Self taught, he joined beginner groups for a while before being invited into "Mulligan’s Flat" from 1992 to 2004. During this time, he attended National Folk Festivals, which were both inspirational and formative. At these festivals, he met like-minded individuals and was exposed to traditional musicians and music.
Through these early experiences, Mulligan developed an abiding curiosity about the roots and transmission of traditional music and its application to dance. His fascination with collected tunes grew as he encountered musicians and collectors at festivals and sessions, gradually piecing together the living history embedded in these melodies. Over time, this led to a commitment not just to play the music, but to ensure its survival and accessibility for future generations.
Motivated by a desire to preserve and promote Australian folk traditions, Mulligan became an active organiser within the folk scene. He initiated and coordinated long-running session series, notably the National Folk Festival's Bush Traditions sessions, which form the basis of this archive, and the Monaro Folk Society's Settlers Sessions, providing spaces where music and stories could be shared and handed down. Recognizing a gap in the preservation and presentation of collected tunes, he helped found the Bush Traditions organization, taking on a guiding role and shaping its mission to serve musicians, dancers, researchers and enthusiasts alike.
Perhaps his most significant contribution, in collaboration with Greg O'Leary, has been as the principal force behind the creation of a comprehensive archive dedicated to Australian bush music. What began in its earliest form as a series of booklets and CDs produced for the NFF sessions, grew with each year, evolving under his stewardship, first into a wiki and then into a robust, accessible online Archive. Mulligan's extensive research, transcription, and documentation efforts have made him, together with Greg O'Leary, by far the major contributors of content. Mulligan's vision, perseverance, and collaborative spirit have ensured that the legacy of Australian folk music remains vibrant and within reach.
