Simon McDonald
Simon McDonald, (1907-1968), Melbourne, Vic provided details of some of the Australian tunes in this archive.
The National Library of Australia holds aural recordings of interviews conducted with Simon McDonald. He was interviewed by
- Norm O'Connor in 1953, [1], Simon McDonald plays fiddle, sings, recites poems and describes dances. A collection of recordings and related material collected during the 1950s and 1960s by Norm O'Connor Pat O'Connor and others for the Folk Lore Society of Victoria
- Norm O'Connor in 1959, [2], Simon McDonald sings, plays fiddle and speaks about family history. Also available online [3]
- Norm O'Connor in September 1960, [4], A collection of recordings and related material collected during the 1950s and 1960s by Norm O'Connor, Pat O'Connor and others for the Folk Lore Society of Victoria. McDonald is accompanied when playing fiddle by Mrs James on piano. Side 2 recorded in American Hotel, Creswick.
- Norm O'Connor in 1960, [5], [6], A collection of recordings and related material collected during the 1950s and 1960s by Norm O'Connor, Pat O'Connor and others for the Folk Lore Society of Victoria.
- Norm O'Connor in February 1961, [7], Arthur Suckling and Simon McDonald interviewed. Part of a collection of recordings and related material collected during the 1950s and 1960s by Norm O'Connor and others for the Folk Lore Society of Victoria.
- Norm O'Connor in 1962, [8], [9], A collection of recordings and related material collected during the 1950s and 1960s by Norm O'Connor, Pat O'Connor and others for the Folk Lore Society of Victoria.
- Norm O'Connor in 1967, [10]. A collection of recordings and related material collected during the 1950s and 1960s by Norm O'Connor, Pat O'Connor and others for the Folk Lore Society of Victoria.
- Norm O'Connor in 1969, [11], J H Davies interviewed by Lloyd Robson and Simon McDonald, Alf Dyer and Dick Evans sing. Also available online [12]
- Hugh Anderson in 1967, [13], This collection contains pieces performed by Simon McDonald as well as an interview. Some of this material is featured in "Time out of mind : the story of Simon McDonald" edited by Hugh Anderson.
- Warren Fahey in 1968, [14], "Dave de Hugard; Declan Affley; Wild Colonial Boys; Chris Duffy; Simon McDonald; A. L. Lloyd perform.
- Hugh Anderson [15] "Time out of mind : Simon McDonald of Creswick" Melbourne : National Press, 1974, ISBN:0909470162; SECOND PRINT: [16], Ascot Vale, Vic. : Red Rooster Press, 1987, ISBN:0908247206
- Hugh Anderson [17], "Elizabeth Jamieson, Simon McDonald, Glen Tomasetti, Duke Tritton and the Lumsden family perform folk music" Donated by Hugh Anderson (1927-2017) in March 1989.
- Hugh Anderson [18], Two axe Mac : the story of Simon McDonald / recorded, edited and introduced by Hugh Anderson ; transcriptions by Dawn Anderson. "First published by National Press Pty. Ltd. 1974. Revised and enlarged Red Rooster Press"--T.p. verso. Accompanied by audio CD. North Melbourne, Vic. : Red Rooster Press, 2011, ISBN:0908247648
- Australian Dictionary of Biography, online in 2006, [19], Simon McDonald (1906-1968), traditional singer and bushworker, was born on 22 November 1906 at Spring Mount, near Creswick, Victoria, fourth of six children of Victorian-born parents Simon McDonald, labourer, and his wife Margaret, nee Murnane. Young Simon grew up in a three-roomed bush hut built by his father on a piece of ground obtained by a miner's right, and spent almost all his life in the Creswick area. His father had once worked in the deep alluvial mines at Allendale, but mostly fossicked on his own for gold or dug potatoes seasonally for a sparse living in support of his wife and children. Songs around the fire were part of family life. -- by Hugh Anderson
Simon lived most of his life in Creswick, near Ballarat, Vic, fossicking for gold, digging potatoes, picking fruit. He had a repertoire exceeding fifty songs and at least seven poems of his own composition, but knew many more traditional songs and tunes learned from family members. He was known locally as a fiddler of dance music. "His limited range of experiences, with no distraction provided by newspapers or radio, seems to have sharpened his recall of the years. Simon's story of unremitting poverty was fairly typical of bush workers, but it was told with a richness of detail and humour, together with songs and recitations beyond the reach of most literate persons." -- Hugh Anderson in "Verandah Music, Roots of Australian Tradition", Curtin University Books, Ed. Graham Seal and Rob Willis, 2003, p.106.
