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In a sheet titled 'Morris Dancing and the Plenty Morris' (circa 1986) the following description is provided:

'The Plenty Morris is Melbourne's only Morris Team and is based in the Eltham – Lower Planty area in the north-east of Melbourne. During the National Folk Festival at Easter they will be 'local hosts' to Morris teams and dancers from all over Australia and New Zealand, when the Australian Morris Ring meets at La Trobe (University). There will be dancing in the city on Easter Saturday and at other spots around the city throughout the weekend.'

Following from Graham Dodsworth:

"My first recollection of Morris Dancing in Melbourne was when we organised some mummers plays to perform around the streets of Carlton just before Christmas in 1973, moving from one corner to the next doing the Morris dancing and the mummers plays, street theatre style with some wassail songs, this was with Graeme Smith playing accordion, Peter Parkhill, Peter Auty, Cliff Gilbert-Pursy, Richard Nelson, Seamus Duffy was the fool, we had a hobby horse and one of the plays had a motif similar to the more serious motifs to be found in the Derby Ram song."

Following from Stephen Brand

"I first met the Morris in Australia in Canberra in 1979 or 1980 when I saw the Canberra Morris men dancing in a park . A mate of mine had two brothers dancing with them and he suggested we go and see what it was all about They were obviously having fun, attracting some good looking females, busking rather well and then happily drinking the proceeds. It appeared to be something that was made for me and I joined the team almost immediately, I danced with Canberra and subsequently the Sydney Morris Men until approximately 1998 when work and family life began to intrude.

Though interested in folk music, I really liked the attitude of the Morris compared to that of the Canberra folk scene. The CMM did not take anything seriously and had an irreverent approach to most things. The folk scene on the other hand was very stuffy and took it self far too seriously. I guess that is where a lot of the antipathy between the two groups has sprung from Itchy feet has led me to start up another side in Sydney and we are going well with our initial outing in Canberra this year. It is a mixed side with one regular women dancer Check out our website at www.blackjoak.morris.org.au

Can't think of any Jokes other than the old one supposedly told by women:
        Why do Morris men wear bells?
        So you can tell when they are coming"

Following from Rowan Webb:

In the article I sent you there was the following para concerning the inaugural meeting of the Colonial Dancers;

Our rehearsal and performances of the mumming play was organised by Peter Parkhill and the only one of us who could dance Morris with any real competence was a fellow called Alex, whose surname I have tried (for years) to remember, without success; Peter might recall him, as might Graeme Smith (now at Monash) who also was one of the performers.  After Christmas we tried to continue with establishing a side but Alex left (to go back to England?) and the rest of us (although not Graeme) got involved with getting the Colonial Dancers up and running.  When Geoff Welham arrived subsequently he got the Plenty Morris side started.  They later split into two versions of Plenty Morris; one still in Melbourne and the other operating at Longford, in Tasmania.

At the '83? National in Adelaide I recall a discussion with a very small man (who had a very small and tight mouth) about mixed Morris sides.  He was a Sydney Morrisman who insisted that; a mixed Morris sides should be banned as they were not 'in the tradition', and Sydney Morris was the very first side in Australia, having started in about 1974-5, according to him.

Although I have (thankfully) forgotten his name, I remember the heated nature of his argument in the discussion rather well.  I had just started my relationship with Wendy Beck, who wanted to be involved with the folk scene but not be seen to have come into it 'under my wing' so to speak.  She joined Plenty Morris (and barred me from having any further formal activities with them unless she had invited me to do so) in early 1983 and I was quite happy to go into bat for her with regard to the first of his issues above.  He tried to use the second as some sort of justification (along the lines of "we were the first in Australia so our rules have precedence") and I rather took the wind out of his sails with my outline of the formation of the side in Melbourne before Christmas 1973.

I remembered his argument much later when, during a discussion (sorry, can't recall date) with Shirley Andrews, she commented that she had discovered evidence of a much earlier Morris side in Melbourne.  It had been operating (apparently based somewhere around Beaumaris) in about 1938 (bad enough concerning the Sydney Morrisman's claims of 'priority') and (even worse) was mixed.  I had thought I'd written this all down but I couldn't find it so I've had to write it down for you now. 

And an additional email;

As an addition, Plenty Morris traded rather well on their name in one respect, at least.  In the Rutherglen wine district (north central Victoria), one of the wineries was Morris Winery.  Plenty Morris was invited to perform there every Queen's Birthday weekend; the side kipped in a local hall and performed at various venues over the weekend but the two biggest events were always at Morris' vineyard.  The second of the two big performances was always on the Monday, and was followed by an invitation, from the owner, to go into the cellar and help ourselves to a bottle of our choice "on the house" as a reward for our efforts.  Nobody abused the offer by going to the 'seriously vintage' part of the cellar but he never stinted on offering very good wines.

Various wine and shearing songs came to mind whenever I partook.
Plenty Morris also took care to purchase quite a few Morris chateau cardboard casks, to use in props after they'd been emptied.

When I was in Darwin in '86 I recall playing (with Tony Suttor) for a Morris side there.  He will be able to give more details (if he hasn't already) but I recall their performance dress was not the 'traditional' English garb but shorts and floral shirts as more appropriate to "Gone Troppo" or "Troppo Morris" (one of those names is correct, I'm sure) and dancing energetically in tropical climates.  Instead of a hobby horse we/they used a "hobby croc", as there had been a 'spate' of tourists taken by crocs in the Top End in the (then) recent past."

From Paul Gooding:

I used to dance Cotswold style Morris in the UK with Kemp's Men of Norwich, came to Oz in 1998, danced briefly with Adelaide Morris Men (http://amm.morris.org.au/), then formed my own side called Hedgemonkey Morris (http://www.morris.org.au/HM/index.html), we danced as the featured side at the National Folk Festival in Canberra a couple of times.  Sadly, time and family commitments have taken their toll and Hedgemonkey are no longer active but it might start again one day.  I do still play the music for Hot for Joe Border Morris (http://h4j.morris.org.au/) and I've written a few articles on Morris here and there.  I could provide these for you if you're interested.  

A couple of years ago there was a Morris exhibition at the Migration Museum in Adelaide featuring all sorts of Morris styles and Folk customs, most of the exhibits (and even a few of the dancers !!?!) are probably still stored in a cupboard somewhere, maybe you should email either the exhibition organiser (John.Stirling@fmc.sa.gov.au)).  

You might have this information already, but at least you have some links to check out.  

The Australian Morris Ring – lists all Oz sides and also contacts of the Ring Squire etc. http://www.morris.org.au/AMR/index.htm 

I think Britannia Morris Men in Melbourne have kept good records of their activities over the years too. http://www.britannia.org.au/http://www.britannia.org.au/

Morris jokes – all dreadful:

* Number 1. "Which one is Maurice?"
* Number 2. Why should you bury Morris dancers ten foot under instead of six? Because deep down, even Morris dancers are OK.
* Number 3. Why do Morris dancers wear bells? To annoy the blind as much as the sighted.
* Number 4. A class of blind kids are by the seaside playing with a football with a bell on it, so they can hear where it is. The teacher pops off for a quiet pint. Someone comes running in shouting "quick, the kids are kicking hell out of the Morris team!".
* Number 5. Why don't Morris dancers play hide and seek? Because no one will come looking for them.
* Number 6. A man goes in to a pub and says "Do you serve Morris dancers?" "Oh yes" says the landlord. "Good" says the man. "I'll have a packet of crisps, and a Morris dancer for my dog".
* Number 7. Pull the other one, it's got bells on!