MANY a music lover resumed living the dream at Port Fairy last weekend.

The annual Folk Festival weather was prime autumn and worries of catching Covid were a dim memory.

In fact, now that truth around Covid transmission is in the open we can wonder why this festival and so many other public events had been cancelled previously, when the most knowledgeable scientists in this field concurred that masks were ineffective, that it was pointless to sanitise our hands and that we shouldn’t be bullied to get vaccinated when, for some, that increased risk to their health.    

Maybe one day some of our betters (medical and media)  will pay a price for their misinformation, scaremongering and incompetence that damaged so many lives, businesses and the economy.

 Don’t hold your breath. But let’s leave this for another day.

The Port Fairy Folk Festival holds a special place in your correspondent’s heart.

One reason is that my family used to holiday a stone’s throw from Southcombe Park and we could enjoy the music sitting in the shade in our back garden.

Another is that the festival came to Port Fairy because founder, Jamie McKew, a member of the Geelong Folk Music Club, had links with Rosebrook, in-laws territory.

Jamie’s grandmother lived there (it’s a few miles outside town on the road to Warrnambool). She and my wife’s family were near neighbours.

McKew’s grandparents were once the curators of the Port Fairy gardens.

He visited them regularly for summer holidays, so was familiar with what the town offered.   

Port Fairy got the nod because of rich immigrant culture, there were multiple small halls, a community centre, historic pubs, wonderful camping facilities and a relaxing seaside environment.

• INTERESTING that even though the Folkie adds massively to the local economy not every Port Fairy resident looks forward to it.
• Some usually leave town for the weekend.
• Ask those living near Southcombe Park and you’ll get an earful about cars blocking driveways, streets being closed off, about noise making it difficult to sleep before 1am, about eateries and pubs being overwhelmed, sporting ground surfaces being damaged and occasional vandalism.   
• In the eyes of conservative locals the Folkie’s image also took a hit some years ago when some quango used the event to promote safe-sex by publicly handing free condoms willy-nilly to festival goers.   
• Noteworthy, too, how Port Fairy’s fame as a tourist destination, enhanced by the festival, has resulted in many basic houses now selling for a million plus – a boon for long-time home-owners but a nightmare for young families trying to own that first roof over their heads.

THE first Port Fairy folk festival dates back to December 2, 3 and 4, 1977.

The weekend ticket then cost $4 and got the bearer into every musical event.  

Today entry to the four days of entertainment costs $345 for adults, $135 for 13 to 17 years, U12 free.

The first dates were chosen to lead into the Moyneyana Festival, then a month-long series of events with the local hospital the main beneficiary.  

The festival began under the theme of “Australian and Irish Traditional Music”. 

It’s been a not-for-profit event, now incorporated for legal reasons, and run largely by local volunteers.

Many local groups have benefited from the money raised.

The Folkie, as its known, kicked off on the back of a truck in the botanic gardens with somewhere around 300 attendees.

This was followed by allied concerts during the three days in halls, pubs and using the old band rotunda in the gardens (since demolished) and dances at the Fairy Palace (better known today as the Drill Hall).    

Initially Port Fairy Lions and the Yambuk Football clubs provided most of the manpower required.

From 1980, after three December events, the timing was changed to March, providing a long-weekend to attract distant people and the likelihood a fine weather.

Today the main site opposite South Beach can house close to 12,000 people. There are two extra  stages in the CBD for lesser acts, buskers on the sidewalks and folksy-themed stalls on roads.

According to Moyne Shire best days can bring 20,000 people to town.         

From memory, Initially the festival specialised in low-cost home-grown Australian and Irish musicians. Easy to find considering the Celtic roots in the township plus at nearby Killarney and Koroit.

In time, as visitor numbers grew, this was expanded to include music and musos from other world cultures.         

These days indigenous presenters are prominent on the program as well. Sea shanties used to be a big hit as well.

The cost of staging – artists, tents, public liability insurance etc - must be massive.

According to organisers around 8000 artists have appeared over the 46 years.

Port Fairy and this folk festival are now known nationally.

There are multiple Australia Tourism awards and a Hall of Fame gong.