Musical biography profiles one of Australia’s literary giants

Coming to the Bellarine and timed to coincide with the Archibald Prize exhibition in Geelong is a new live-on-stage musical biography titled J F Archibald – Australia’s Gift To The World.

Presented by writer/historian Colin Mockett with his musician wife, Shirley Power, the show profiles the Geelong-born man who was named ‘Australia’s Greatest Journalist’.

J F Archibald founded and edited the magazine which became Australia’s first nationwide publication – The Bulletin.

This journal gave a platform – and made the reputations – of most of Australia’s literary giants.

Think Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, C J Dennis, Breaker Morant, Edward Dyson, Dorothy Mackellar, Steele Rudd, Louise Mack, Joseph Furphy and Mary Gilmour among many others. They all were published first by J F Archibald.

His Bulletin was even credited with helping to create the nation of Australia, with J F Archibald’s strong and unwavering support for the federation of colonies helping to win the series of referendums deemed necessary by the British government.

But perhaps most importantly, J F Archibald’s Bulletin created for Australia its image as a nation of tough, independentthinking self-confident larrikins.

Prior to J F Archibald, the nation’s reputation was that of a place for miserable convicts.

The new show is presented against a backdrop of images and highlighted with songs from the times. These were written by Banjo Paterson, Henry Lawson, Breaker Morant and more.

J F Archibald – Australia’s Gift To The World is part of the City of Greater Geelong’s Morning Showtimes series.

It’s presented on Tuesday November 12 in the Potato Shed, Drysdale at 10.30am.

All tickets $15 include refreshments – buy them through COGG’s service centres or phone 5251 1998.