Tambar Springs will revive one of them – the bush dance – at a special community event next month.

The village will echo to the sounds of a foot-tapping fiddle, the lively drone and hum of an accordian, the rousing strum of a guitar, and the jingling of a lagerphone, as those gathered at the community hall are transported back to colonial times when the shears clicked, swagman trudged the trails, and communities came together for a good old-fashioned bush dance.

The Tambar Springs Progress Association invites everyone to brush off their boots, put on their best dancing outfits, and enjoy a fun-filled night at the free bush dance at the Tambar Springs Community Hall on October 22.

“The dance is a great chance for families and friends to enjoy a great night of traditional Australian music, entertainment and dancing,” progress association member Kylie Short said.

“The night is free of charge for a couple of reasons,” she said.

“Over the last couple of years a huge chunk of money raised has gone into various projects to restore the community hall or update the resources within it and this is our way of saying thanks to everyone in the local area for supporting the organisation in its fundraising efforts.”

“We’ve booked The Nodding Thistles, a bush band from Bathurst. They have been performing together, sharing their love of traditional Australian bush music since 1994.”

Peter Wilson, along with Bruce Cameron and David Tonkin, the other band members, play accordian, mandolin, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, bones, lagerphone and other assorted cutlery playing well known songs about shearers, bushrangers and drovers, while calling the steps to well known dances like strip-the-willow and quadrille, just like how they were danced during the gold rush and the time of Ned Kelly.

“I can remember going to bush dances as a kid and having a wonderful time,” Kylie said.

“The night will be a great opportunity for people in rural areas to socialise and reconnect in a time when our lives can get overly busy…and introduce the kids to the mayhem of the heel-and-toe polka and the drongo.”

The evening at the community hall will start at 6.30pm and continue until late. It’s BYO drinks and nibblies, so everyone will be able to yarn with mates or sashay to and from the dance floor at their leisure. There will also be a raffle run on the night with a couple of spectacular prizes.

If anyone has any further inquiries they can ring Kylie 6744 2406 or Bec 0410 302 732.