Photocopy of a newspaper article titled Oldtime Dance Band featuring the Wedderburn Old Timers. Mentioned is some of the history of the Old Timers and members of the band and some of the places they performed. Members mentioned are: Grummy Ross, Lindsay Holt (button accordion), Elma Ross (piano), Daisy Sutton (fiddle), Lional Collison (violin), Don Topley (whistle), Adrian Verrinder (guitar and banjo), Teddy Stephenson (MC) and Jack Condon (strohviol). They also played on the television program - The Penthurst Club hosted by Bill Collins and Mary Hardy.entertainment, music, wedderburn oldtimers, peter ellis collection, grummy ross, wedderbrn oldtimers, coral & lindsay holt, goldseeker motel, mechanics institute hall, elma ross, daisy sutton, lional collison, don topley, adrian verrinder, teddy stephenson, jack condon, dulcie stephenson, old leura hotel - camperdown, bill pollock, channel nine studios, henry hargreaves, collison orchestra, mary hardy, penthouse club, bill collins, don lane, bert newton

Four newspaper cuttings featuring the Wedderburn Old Timers. The first is a photo of people dancing with the band in the background at the Bendigo Psychiatric Centre (no date). The second is a page from the Loddon Times - Wednesday, May 15, 2002 with photos of Kevin and Averyl Fry, Moira Clarkson, Danni Devlin, Andrea Hollier, Don Manypenny. Lyn Lynlsing, Betty Jackel and a photo of four members of the band playing their instruments.The third is a photo in The Mercury 29/1/1981 of the band with their instruments. (The full page of this paper is part of the Collection). One member mentioned was Lindsay Holt and the fourth is a page from The Bendigo Advertiser 27/8/1988 telling the history of the band and an old man named Ted Noonan who taught the violin to a farmers daughter named Daisy in Wehla. There is also a photocopy of this article.Bendigo Advertiserentertainment, dance, barn dance, peter ellis collection, wedderburn old time ball, kevin & averyl fry, maira clarkson, danni devlin, andrea hollier, don manypenny, lyn lynlsing, betty jackel, campbell holmes, the loddon times 15/5/2002, bendigo psychiatric centre, wedderburn old timers, lindsay holt, ted noonan, elma ross, grummy ross, bendigo advertiser 27/8/1988, dr donald topley

3 A4 pages stapled together. Peter's Eulogy. We have lost a giant from the folklore scene. The huge crowd here today shows how much Peter meant to so many people. He has been my friend and band leader for the past twenty five years. Peter was the glue for our band. He planned the musical program in conjunction with the MCs. He listed all the tunes to be played and where to find them for those who read the dots. Peter was great fun to be around and I'd like to mention just a few things to show that. Peter was always an exuberant player. He would bounce around on his seat. This caused a near disaster at a drought relief benefit we were playing. The band was on a platform but our pianist Olive was at ground level as the piano could not fit. Peter bounced around so much his chair leg slipped and Peter ended up on top of poor Olive. Peter loved to entertain. He would play bones or swanee whistle at the drop of a hat. He would demonstrate the Charleston, can can or bunny hop for groups. For a big man he was very light on his feet. He loved to stand and circle his concertina, a memory I won't forget. I have to confess I have slept with Peter. Twice. The first time was at Port Fairy Folk Festival when the band slept in the nunnery at Koroit. Peter, Dean Swift and I shared a room. Peter's snoring was so bad Dean grabbed a blanket and a pillow and went to sleep in the mini bus. I went into another room but even with two closed doors found it difficult to sleep. As recently as this year's Illawarra Folk Festival Peter was in a tent in the performer's area. I noticed the tents either side quickly became vacant. The next time was in Canberra when Peter and I were at one end of a caravan and Mary Smith was at the other. I don't think poor Mary got much sleep that night. On another occasion in Canberra Peter was Half asleep in his van when another well known female performer (not from the band) came in and stripped off. She realised she was in the wrong van and grabbed her stuff and took off. She returned very red faced the next morning to collect her shoes. Peter maintained he saw nothing. One freezing cold night in Canberra Peter ad I had been at a terrific session in the bar. We had to support each other across the oval towards our caravan. Peter tried to straddle the fence and got stuck. There was a real Canberra frost on the fence and a sensitive part of Peter's anatomy was in grave danger of frost bite. Peter took an eternity to extricate himself. I couldn’t help him as I was laughing so much. We'll never forget making Harry McQueen's bull boar sausages at Nariel. Peter had already organised the meat and intestine casings from the butcher in Corryong. He was such an organiser and the sausages were brilliant. Peter was quirky. He always made a morning cuppa complete with tea cosy. It even left Martin Pearson speechless in the breakfast tent at Illawarra this year. Another example was when he sold his beloved FJ which is parked out the front today. As the new buyer drove off down the road Peter stood there playing 'Now is the hour' and 'wish me luck as you wave me goodbye' on his concertina. Peter loved a joke. He knew Shirley Andrews loathed the tune Danny boy so he played it in her hearing any chance he go. He even gave her a cd with a dozen different performers doing their versions of the song. We once played at the Rifle Brigade Oktoberfest and Peter was just a bit under the weather after being there for two days (the band got free drinks). The late night crowd was getting restless so Peter tried to shut them up by holding his finger up. They got more restless. Peter couldn’t understand it. 'it worked for Grummy Ross,' he wailed. It was the only time we ever over rode him and started playing without him. He wasn’t happy but disaster was averted. The dance club once had a reverse deb ball. Peter shave his beard, got his sister Robyn to make up his face and came to the ball in a lovely gown. It took ages for people to realise who it was.Margaret Hogan said the other night 'Peter let me see and do things I never would have done otherwise.' I think that is true of all of us in the band. We performed in major festivals regularly, travelled widely and had experiences such as playing at the opening of Melbourne Museum or State Parliament. Experience we'd never have had without Peter. I'm glad Peter didn’t suffer. He told me last Monday morning on my last visit he was in no pain. For that I am grateful. He passed away that night. He was taken far too young and has left a huge hole in all our lives. Personally I have lost a great mate, but then we can all say that. We'll miss you Dirty Pierre. John Williams.person, individual, peter ellis oam