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Then in 1974 - at the instigation of a local musician named Ted Simpson, a few people gathered at the small town of Uranquinty, a short distance from Wagga Wagga, their purpose to celebrate Australian Bush culture. In the best traditions of the bush, amenities were scarce; there was an oval to camp on and "Jack's Hut". Jack the old ex shearers cook lived in the tiny two-room hut on the edge of the oval. Jack (now deceased) was a skinny, wiry little man who looked as if he never ate much of the fare he cooked up. He survived on longnecks of stout, "for my health", he said, but warmly welcomed arriving folkies with a big pot of stew.
Some slept on the floor of the hut and in the morning, Jack put some wood into the primitive burner behind the football change rooms to provide hot water for showering, which had been in continuous use until sadly demolished in to make way for the new hall in 2008.
Who could forget it? A draughty old almost derelict tin and concrete block shed with a broken concrete floor and a bit of black plastic to separate the ladies from the gents; taps so hot that they burned your hands or your bum; water at 99 degrees or stone cold because nobody remembered to stoke the fire; it took 5 minutes to adjust and when you got it right someone else would turn on a tap and you would get scalded or frozen; prepubescent boys hiding up in the umpire's box perving on the ladies in the shower (probably permanently traumatised) as most were old enough to be their grannies.
Over the coming years there were many more festivals at Uranquinty, come rain, hail and occasionally, shine. The characters who have left their mark are many. To mention some will mean others are not, but I must be true to my impressions of attending a good many of those festivals. The late Ted Simpson and his wife Natalie, (deceased) were the inspiration of Uranquinty, or ‘Quinty’ as the regulars call it. The Publican Jan Wright (also deceased) and husband Bob donated the chorus cup and provided a free keg of beer to farewell the folkies. Other organisers who stand out over the years are Bev and Bill, Brenda and Dave and more recently, Tracey Harris, Davy Upton and Peter O'Dea.
The history of Quinty is laced with characters from the original health food consumer, Jack; to others like Doug and Maggie; Dave Alexander, (deceased); the Shanty Crew – The Roaring Forties (now 40 degrees South); father Michael O’Leary; Lyn Hudson; Edno; Allan Phillips; Alfie ‘yawning man’ Charlton; John Dengate; Big Barbara; Snappy Tom; Terry Gleeson and others too numerous to mention.
Uranquinty still has the features of a bush experience, log fires, shared meals, craic, camaraderie and a sense of belonging to something very special where you meet up with old friends and make new one. Most importantly, it has the support of some very fine musicians who understand the importance of maintaining a vibrant people's culture.