Bob Ballantine

Bob Ballantine (1928-2014), Linton, Vic provided details of some of the Australian tunes in this archive.

Bob was born in Northumbria, England. He learned many tunes from his father, Billy, and from listening to a rich musical tradition at farm sessions and local dances. He acquired a whistle at age 7. In 1942 he joined the army as an engineering apprentice, where he played B flat flute in the drum and fife band. Billy bought him a piccolo in 1951.

Bob's father, Billy Ballantine, (1891-1971) was a pig farmer, on Greenhaugh farm, Simonburn, near Wark, on the North Tyne. He played piccolo, an effective instrument for traditional dance music, in local bands and was an important collector of local tunes which he dotted down for Peter Kennedy to pass on. Source: https://folktrax-archive.org/menus/cassprogs/119.htm

Bob came to Australia to work on the Blue Streak program at Woomera in 1961 and for the next 20 years he moved about with his family from South Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania and Western Australia. Through this time he did not play at all, only rediscovering his muse in 1981 when, while living in Mt Gambier, he attended a folk festival at Port Fairy.

Bob was a masterful musician with many tunes, mostly from Northumbria, but more still from other regions of the UK. Bob's piccolo was shrill and clear, it carried across the noisiest of sessions. His playing was melodic and his rendition easy to follow. A quite man, genial of nature with a friendly and welcoming smile, he enjoyed his music and was happy to share. He led tunes in the Session Bar at the National Folk Festival for many years and sat with the "Rubber Band" in functions and festivals around central and western Victoria.

Bob Ballantine recorded 19 tunes on CD; "Bob Ballantine, Northumbria Down Under", released in 2000.

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