National Folk Festival

The National Folk Festival started life as the Port Phillip District Folk Music Festival. It was held on the weekend of 11 & 12 February 1967 at the Teachers College, Melbourne University, and was relatively modest compared to the current event, being held over two days with an Official Opening on the Friday evening by Alan Marshall. In the Program’s opening remarks Mick Counihan (committee member) wrote “Principally, (in Australia) there is no focal point, no meeting place for the exchange of songs, styles, ideas. Here, a serious Folk Music Festival can play an essential role and this is what the Port Phillip Festival, intended as an annual, national event, must aim to do.”

In the 1960s folk music in the United States was moving into the mainstream, with the highly successful Newport Folk Festival gaining wide publicity for the genre. Founded in 1959, Newport cultivated a broad range of folk music from the start and still continues to stretch the boundaries of folk to this day. The National Folk Festival developed from the Port Phillip District Folk Festival, fueled by the idea that a similar type of festival in Australia might attract new ‘folk’ audiences here.

We pay tribute to those on the founding committee including Shirley Andrews (chair), Glen Tomasetti, Martyn Wyndham-Read and Mick Counihan.

From 1969 the Festival was held in a different state or territory each year, with a locally formed committee organising and delivering the event. By the late 1980’s the travelling version of the National Folk Festival had become difficult to manage for each of the respective organising committees. Between 1988 and 1992 heavy financial losses were sustained by organising groups, and the future of the Festival was in doubt. Change needed to be embraced to save the Festival by making the event financially viable. The Australian Folk Trust took a courageous step by taking over the running of the event.

In 1992 the AFT decided that the size and scope of the event had grown to a point where the Festival needed a permanent home and a professional management team. Several cities were considered and, eventually, Canberra was chosen. AFT chairperson Dale Dengate played a significant role in reaching this difficult decision.

In 1993 a not-for-profit, limited liability company, the National Folk Festival Ltd was formed to operate the event. A full-time Director was employed and an office established in Gorman House, Braddon. The Festival settled into its permanent home at Exhibition Park In Canberra (EPIC) and has been held there every Easter long weekend since.