EST. 1971

The Bushwackers play Australian music, much of it based on the traditional folk and working songs from the early 20th century, infused with their own brand of contemporary subject matter and instrumentation.

With a laconic, distinctive Australian sound, Dobe Newton and Roger Corbett voice 50+ years of songs, tunes and dance calls.  As much as the music has changed, the spirit of the songs and stories that inspired the first Bushwackers have not.

With their politics and social conscience proudly worn on their sleeve, the band combines original material with a traditional repertoire.  Songs such as ‘Beneath The Southern Cross’ and ‘When Britannia Ruled The Waves’, sit easily alongside a musical setting of Lawson’s epic poem ‘Faces in The Street’ and ‘The Ballad of 1891’ celebrating the great shearers’ strike.

More recently is the irreverent and controversial ‘Marijuana Australiana Rehashed’, a great crowd favourite together with ‘Leave It In The Ground’ highlighting the fight against the mining companies in Australia.

Often an enthusiasm not shared by a number of members of the constabulary who regularly take the band to task with issues such as becoming a republic, equality, cultural diversity and more recently, climate change and legislation of medical marijuana.

The Bushwackers continue to take their unique Australiana brand of music through the country and around the world, bringing spirit and energy to festivals, clubs, pubs, schools and events.

The Bush dances in the late 70’s and early to mid 80’s saw the band’s Bush Dance Spectaculars attract 2000 – 3000 people to major venues throughout Australia.  The Dance Album and the accompanying instructional Dance Book became, and remain, a primary school staple across the nation, with scarcely a school kid alive who hasn’t learnt a bit of bush dancing to the music of The Bushwackers.

Now in their 54th year, The Bushwackers are led by the mighty lagerphone of Dobe Newton and the musical direction of Roger Corbett.  Both are joined onstage with a great team of musicians wielding fiddles, accordions, mandolins, guitars, bass, and drums.  Their shows are filled with an enthusiastic diversity of fans who dance, sing and enjoy this unique Australian music.

See more at Wikipedia

The music that made us, the story that shaped us.

The Bushwackers 50th Anniversary Exhibition is a complete online anthology, a rich celebration of five decades of band members, music, discography, stories, images, video and a collection of lost tapes found in the attic.  

Made with assistance from the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, the exhibition takes a journey from 1971 until now.

1970’s

Dave Isom (1971 – 75) – Guitar, Vocals

Bert Khanoff (1971-73) – Lagerphone

Sylvester Kroyher (1971-72) – Fiddle

John Spencer (1971-72) – Banjo, Mandolin

Jan Wositzky (1971-81) – Banjo, Vocals, Bass, Bush Percussion

John Millard (1972-73) – Whistle, Flute

Mick Slocum (1971-79) – Accordion, vocals

Davey Kidd (1971-73, 76-78) – Fiddle

Tony Hunt (1973-76) – Fiddle

Dobe Newton (1973 to present) – Lagerphone, Vocals, Whistle, Spoons, Bones

Pete Howell (1974-76) – Bass

Dave Brannigan (1975) – Guitar

Louis McManus (1976-78, 80-84) – Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin

Pete Farndon (1976-78) – Bass

Dave Mattacks (UK 1976) – Drums

John Fitzgerald (1977) – Guitar, fiddle

Chris Duffy (1978) – Guitar, Mandolin, Fiddle

Hugh McDonald (1978) – Bass, guitar

Jim Fisher (1978-79) – Guitar

Doug Gallagher (1978 to present) – Drums

Fred Kuhnl (1978-79) – Bass

Greg Martin (1978-80_ – Drums

Steve Groves (1978-79, 83-85) – Guitar

Michael Harris (1979-82, 84) – Fiddle

Andy Colville (1979-80) – Guitar

1980’s

Roger Corbett (1980 to present) – Bass, Vocals, Guitar

Eddie van Rosendael (1980-81) – Drums

Freddie Strauks (1982-83) – Drums

Tony O’Neill (1982-83, 85, 2006, 2012 to present) – Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo

Tommy Emmanuel (1983-84) – Guitar

Robbie Ross (1983-85) – Drums

Dan Bourke (1983-90) – Fiddle

Michael Fix (1984, 94) – Guitar

Mario Gregorie (1984) – Keyboards

Peter Northcote (1985) – Guitar

Des McKenna (1986) – Drums

Mick Hyder (1986) – Fiddle

Pete Keown (1986-87) – (2022-23) Drums

Steve Fearnley (1987-88) – Drums

Spiro Phillipas (1985) – Bass

Phil Emmanuel (1987) – Guitar

Brendan O’Shea (1987) – Bass

Pat Drummond (1987) – Guitar

Simon Patterson (1988) – Guitar

Bob Donaldson (1989-91) – Drums

1990’s

Melanie Williamson (1993-98) – Accordion, Guitar

Mark Oats (1993-2020) – Fiddle

Steve Housden (1993-94) – Guitar

Peter Keown (1993 to present) – Drums

Pete Drummond (1993-2003) – Drums

Pete Malone (1994-5) – Guitar

Brad Johns (1995-96) – Guitar

Guy Dutton (1995-96) – Guitar

Tim Gaze (1996-2002) – Guitar

Dave O’Neill (1996-97) – Fiddle

Hanuman Das (1997) – Bass

Willie Kwa (1998) – Drums

Pamela Drysdale (1998-2002) – Accordion, Vocals

Mike Kerin (1999) – Fiddle

2000’s

Andrew Clermont (2002) – Fiddle

Clare O’Meara (2002 to present) – Fiddle, Accordion

Matt Hanley (2003) – Guitar

Justin Duggan (2003-2008) – Drums

Duncan Toombs (2003-05) – Guitar

Michael Vidale (2005 to present) – Bass

Brad Bergen (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011) – Drums

Mark Miller (US 2006) – Bass

Rick Shell (US 2006) – Drums

Ben Corbett (2007 to present) – Guitar, Bass

Gary Steel (2007) – Accordion

Adrian Cannon (2009) – Drums