Shire of Korong Presidential Old-Time Ball Programme with the Shire emblem on the front. Cr. W. Hunter, Shire President 1983/84. Ball held at the Wedderburn Mechanics Institute Hall on Friday, August 10, 1984. Wedderburn 'Old-timers' Orchestra. On the inside is the names of 17 dances with space to write partners names. Master of Ceremonies were Mr. Peter Ellis & Mr. Trevor Holt. Printed on yellow paper.entertainment, dance, dance cards, peter ellis collection, shire of korong, cr w hunter, wedderburn mechanics institute hall, wedderburn 'old-timers' orchestra, peter ellis, trevor holt

Various correspondence relating to teaching including Teacher Registration, references, Acknowledgement of application for Science Laboratory Position and interview details, letter of thank you from Continuing Education Bendigo.Bendigo Senior Secondary College, Diane Chapman, Music Co-ordinatorperson, individual, peter ellis oam, peter ellis collection, flora hill secondary college, ucnv, michael nihill, keith vance, peter lasscock, cheryl fox, bendigo senior secondary college, diane chapman, ron lake, bendigo college of advanced education, dennis o'hoy, bruce johnson, teachers registration board, bill jacobs, education department, g c rodgers, flora hill secondary college, continuing education bendigo, dina martin, t a mclelland, flora hill high school, bill louch, wedderburn old timers orchestra, break o' day, emu creek bush band, nicola hayes, erica hayes, anton marrone, christian truscott, david ottery, adrian murrell, white secondary college

Small Yellow card. Royal Historical Society of Victoria Bendigo Branch 'Alexandra' Costume Dinner Ball Programme City Hall Saturday, 4th July, 1981. Wedderburn Old Timers Orchestra Programme Master of Ceremonies: Mr. Peter Ellis 1. Grand March- Pride of Erin 2. The Schottische 3. Evening Three Step 4. One Step 5. Valetta Waltz 6. Barn Dance 7. Gay Gordons 8. Pride of Erin 9. The Alberts 10. One Step 11. Princess Polka 12. Parma Waltz 13. Maxina 14. Medley 15. Waltz Cotillions 16. Barn Dance (Monte Carlo) 17. Gipsy Tap 18. Circular Waltzperson, individual, peter ellis oam

3 Page Letter printed on A4 printer paper. Bearing the letterhead of the Bush Dance and Music Club of Bendigo Inc. Postal Address Secretary PO Box 922 Bendigo 3552 Telephone number (03) 5442 1153 email [email protected] Mark Maddock Case Officer Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat Government house Canberra ACT 2600 28th February 2011. Dear Mark, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak for Peter Ellis. We know Peter to be a worthy candidate for the award and I think that most people that know him would agree. I had been putting together a nomination for Peter that was suggested by a couple at our club meeting on a night when Peter was not present. Everyone felt that he should have recognition for all the work that he has done and it was unanimously voted on. I was given the job. As someone else has beaten me to it I now can speak for him on my own behalf and in my role as secretary of the Bush Dance & Music Club Inc. Peter Ellis is a very good friend of mine and I have known him since April 1975 when we met at a Saturday night dance. At that time there was a small group of us that went around the dances. We would go 100kms to find dances that were not on the average programme, dances such as The Lancers, Albert's, Waltz Cotillion and lots of Polkas. We bemoaned the fact that they appeared to be dying out in the Towns and Cities so we tried to get the Bendigo Old Time Dance Club of which we were members, to introduce these dances on to the programme, but they were not interested. After a lot of discussion Peter, Maurie Rayner, myself and several others decided to start our own dance club where we could do the dances that we liked, and to endeavour to keep them alive. We formed the Sandhurst Dance Club in June 1979 (renamed ten years later as the Bush Dance & Music Club of Bendigo Inc.) In 1981 Peter made two attempts to form a band for the club and in 1983 the 'Celebrated Emu Creek Bush Band' was born, with Peter as the leader. Later Peter set up a junior section of the Emu Creek Band and some of these children grew up to become competent musicians and leaders of their own bands/Groups. Peter's friendship with the late Harry McQueen of Castlemaine led to and increased knowledge of the dances, calls for the sets and the various tunes used. Peter joined the Wedderburn Old Timers Orchestra in late 1979 and travelling around Victoria and interstate with them was of immense help in learning to MC dances, call sets acoustically and in collecting new 'old dances' and tunes. He met elderly MC's who gave him information on the way that they ran the dances in the old days. It was also an introduction to playing items at concerts and in reviving much of the old traditions of the bush. Demand for the tunes for dances led to Peter compiling a series of three books called 'Collectors Choice' which were published by the Victorian Folk Music Club in 1986, 1987 and 1988. 1988 was a very busy year for Peter and The Emu Creek Bush Band as they recorded two double music tapes for the club 'The Merry Country Dance' and 'The Waltz the Polka and all Kinds of Dancing' which were in much demand at the time. Also in 1988 he collaborated with the late Shirley Andrews and they co-authored the book 'Two Hundred Dancing Years and how to celebrate them with a Colonial Ball' for the Bicentennial of 1988. this publication, was instigated by the Government backed Bicentenary Committee, and distributed free to every municipality in Australia. In 1996 The Emu Creek Bush Band and Peter recorded and produced a single CD called a Friday night at 'The Spring Valley Hop'. In 1998 The Bush Dance & Music Club again happily agreed to financially back Peter to produce a series of CDs. The first thing he did was to revive and update the 1988 music tapes for CD. The first of the Qadrille Mania series of double CDs with companion call books was launched in 1999 then in 2000 and 2001. then the triple CD called The Waltz Polka & all kinds of Dances in 2002 followed by the Merry Country Dance CDs in 2005, 2006 and 2007. There were six double CDs and one triple CD produced which was a major undertaking that went on for eight years. The CDs have a great many tunes that Peter collected over the years mixed in with well known tunes and there are very few repeats. During this time we applied for a Grant from the Victorian Government to publish a book on the social History of country dances and dance instructions with Peter as the author. We were successful and published it in 2005. Our CDs and book have all been lodged with the National Library of Canberra as has all Peter's sheet music, boxes of it, as well as everything he has produced. At the 2005 Canberra National Folk Festival, at a meeting of collectors, it was stated that Peter has the largest collection of dance related material in the National Library. Peter compiled and produced his own project a triple CD called 'Take Me Back to Bendigo' in 2002. 2006 Peter and Emu Creek Bush Band produced another single CD 'Bush Concert Vol one Back to Goornong'. 2008 A pet project of Peter's was compiling and producing a double CD for the Wedderburn Old Timers it was of all the recorded material performed by them at concerts and taped by friends and fans. It was funded by Gavan Holt a son of the late Lindsay Holt an original 'Old Timer'. Recent publications are a book mainly music 'Music Makes Me Smile' a tribute to Con Klippel and the music of the Nariel Valley near Corryong Victoria. Peter Ellis & Harry Gardner 1998. The Waltz, The Polka & All Kinds of Dancing' a sheet music book for musicians supported by the Folk Song & Dance Society of Victoria. 2007-8 not sure of year. Peter has been involved over the years in collecting music and dance by himself and also with Rob Willis and the late John Meredith for the National Library in Canberra. He is continually asked for information and to write articles for people and to verify points re dance and music. He corresponds with like minded people overseas and frequently goes off to Folk Festivals all over the country, usually running dance classes, musician's workshops or just playing for dances. He is an excellent musician and plays Piano, Button Accordion, Concertina, Mouth Organ, Tin Whistle, Ukulele, Spoons and the Bones. He is regarded as one of Australia's foremost collectors and presenters of Australian traditional dance tunes, dances and some musical instruments. Over the years I have heard him referred to as the Guru of folk dance and music. Peter lives and breathes for this passion of his and always has several irons in the fire. He is a life member of The Bush Dance & Music Club of Bendigo Inc. The Victorian Folk Music Club, and The Bendigo Field Naturalists Club. He was a recipient of the David Squance Award in 1994 presented by the Folk Song & Dance Society of Victoria. Over the last twelve months for the folk magazine 'Trad & Now' he has written articles on the old dances and music and this is an ongoing project. This has led to our clubs present project which is the filming of the dances to be shown on UTube as it is referred to in the magazine. This involves members in hours and hours of practising the dances then filming them, and all with Peter's expert teaching and watchful eye on everyone. The Bush Dance & Music Club are and always have been behind Peter wholeheartedly in everything that he does and we are extremely proud of what he has achieved. His drive and enthusiasm for the preservation of music and dance is catching. People like Peter are absolutely necessary in finding and preserving our Australian Heritage, without them it would be lost forever and Australia would be a great deal poorer for it. The Bush Dance and Music Club of Bendigo Inc. and I fully support this nomination for an award as he is truly deserving of it. Yours sincerely Mary E Smith. Secretary of the Bush Dance & Music Club Inc. Peter's Timeline. 1979 A Foundation Member of the Bush Dance & Music Club of Bendigo Inc. 1979 Joined the Wedderburn Old Timers Orchestra. 1983 The Celebrated Emu Creek Bush Band was formed. 1986 Collectors Choice. Volume one. 1987 Collectors Choice. Volume Two. 1988 Collectors Choice. Volume Three. 1988 Recorded Tapes - The Merry Country Dance & The Waltz Polka & all Kinds of Dances. 1988 A book with the late Shirley Andrews called Two Hundred years of Dancing. 1991 Across to Perth collecting for National Library with the Late John Meredith. 1996 Single CD A Friday Night at the Spring Gully Hop. 1998 Music Makes Me Smile. A tribute to Con Klippel 7 music of the Nariel Valley. 1999 Double CD Quadrille Mania 1&2 2000 Double CD Quadrille Mania 3&4 2001 Double CD Quadrille Mania 5&6 2002 His own project triple CD Take Me Back To Bendigo. (Goldrush to Federation and Beyond). 2002 Triple CD The Waltz The Polka & All kinds of Dances. 2005 Double CD The Merry Country Dance 1 & 2. 2002 Book, The Merry Country Dance. 2006 Single CD with Emu Creek 'Bush Concert Vol 1 Back to Goornong' 2006 Double CD The Merry Country Dance 3&4 2007 Double CD The Merry Country Dance 5&6 2007-8-? A book of music, The Waltz, The Polka & All Kinds of Dances. 2008 Double CD The Wedderburn Old Timers in Concert.person, individual, peter ellis oam

Small off white coloured glossy card. Blue writing. Bendigo Gold Panners' Old Time Ball Programme Bendigo Town Hall Friday, April 22 Special Guest Orchestra: Wedderburn Old-Timers. Hand written in blue pen on top of inside: BENDIGO GOLD-PANNERS FRID. APRIL 22 1977. Dance 1 Circular Waltz, 2 Plain Schottische, 3 Pride of Erin, 4 Maxina, 5 Progressive Barn Dance, 6 Alberts, 7 Polka Mazurka, 8 Evening Three Step, 9 Waltz Vienna, 10 Parma Waltz, 11 Lancers, 12 Swing Waltz. Master of Ceremonies: Mr Ted Stephenson. Your Partner: Wedderburn & Inglewood 'Express' Print, Wedderburn, 3518Wedderburn & Inglewood 'Express' Print, Wedderburn. 3518person, individual, peter ellis oam

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