FOLKLORE OF SYDNEY: an introduction to the collected material

This folklore project, the first of its kind in Australia, commenced on the 1st February, 2003, and will run for two years. Its aim is explained in detail in another section of the site.

The program is very much a sweeping broom in as much as it will also document other findings (i.e. not necessarily Sydney-related). It would not make sense to ignore such material so hopefully readers will not get too confused. So, all findings will appear in this section and material will be added as regular updates.

The majority of the first instalment comes from my first assault on the Mitchell Library and State Library of New South Wales. This is a marvellous resource and the Chief Librarian and Mitchell staff have proved extremely helpful and enthusiastic, which is always a bonus when one is working on the 'needle in a haystack' theory.

I would also like to acknowledge Valda Low who built my site and is maintaining it. It is a labour of love and, to be honest, I would be lost without her support. I think Valda has done a great job in making the site easy to navigate. I recommend her Simply Australia site to all those folks interested in the wide spectre of Australian history, lore and music.

I have broken the material into sections and more sections will be added in due course. I will continue to add my notes to all sections and, time permitting, to individual items. My main concern at the start of the project is to gather in as much material as possible. Note that there is a lot of crossover material so one subject might not necessarily appear under its obvious heading. The categories are simply a filing system and a broad one at that!

Remember I am always interested in receiving feedback on folklore, particularly additional material and observations. Please refer to the email connected to this site.