Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand

Subject: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 24 Mar 04 - 12:23 PM

Does anyone know whether Edward Hunter (1885-1959) performed the songs he wrote?I have a book of his called When Sleeps The Tide containing his poems and 21 songs with music which he refers, to in the book's introduction, as plain folk songs. Via Google I have found out that he was a fairly significant socialist organiser in New Zealand ,1906- 1919, for which he was blacklisted from the mines where he worked, eventually returning to his native Glasgow, Scotland, where he was at some point involved with " community, musical dramatic plays in left-wing theatre.

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: Uke
Date: 24 Mar 04 - 04:58 PM

Hello Geoff

I've done a bit of research into some of the early NZ union poets and balladeers, but hadn't come across that book by Edwards. Have looked through one entitled "Ballads of the Track", which had some good verse in it, though perhaps a little too flowery and high-flown to have been sung I thought - but you never know... some of those stirring early union songs could be like that.

"When Sleeps the Tide" sounds very interesting, especially as it contains music. Does it contain NZ-related lyrics or are they ones of a general left-wing nature?

Michael

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 24 Mar 04 - 07:18 PM

Hi Michael,
          When Sleeps The Tide was printed in Glasgow "for the author" in 1943 long after his return from N.Z.It contains one poem, The Folk Doun By " written in New Zealand" and another, Across The Years " Broadcastin New Zealand" but, like the rest of the poems and the songs, they are political and Scottish in setting and expression.
    Geoff

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: Uke
Date: 24 Mar 04 - 08:49 PM

Thanks Geoff,

Thinking about your original question - I imagine some of his verses/songs were sung. Whether this carried on in NZ after his departure to Scotland I don't know - probably not. The period 1890-1950 was really the heyday of this kind of union folk culture in NZ and there were some good versifiers among them.

The book "The Red Feds" by Erik Olssen is a good book about Hunter's period. The well-known 'Wobbly' Tom Barker also started out in the Tramways Union in NZ.
Michael

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 04:03 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: GUEST,Peter Clayworth
Date: 29 May 05 - 08:18 PM

Kia ora Folks,
I am not 100% sure whether Billy Banjo actually sang the ballads he wrote but coming from Lanarkshire in Scotland and given the strong oral and musical tradition among miners I would say it was most likely he did.

I know of three written pieces on Billy Banjo,all by labour historian Len Richardson. They are:
"Hunter, Edward 1885-1959" in The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Vol 3: 1901-1920" p 240 (Also available on line www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/)

'"Billy Banjo":Coalminer, Socialist, Poet and Novelist'in On the Left: Essays on Socialism in NZ (ed. P Maloney and K Taylor), Otago University Press, Dunedin, 2002

and a number of mentions in

Coal, Class and Community: The United MIne Workers of NZ: 1880-1960,
Aucland University Press, 1995

Hope this is of some help in your quests
Cheers
Peter

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: Uke
Date: 30 May 05 - 06:42 PM

Thanks Peter for those references, I'll be looking them up...

Will try and dig up some of his NZ verse and post it to this thread.
Uke

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 12 Aug 08 - 03:40 PM

I have now given my copy of When Sleeps the Tide to the library at Cecil Sharp House. I never did find out much about Banjo Billy

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: GUEST,Aisling Hunter
Date: 10 Mar 09 - 11:29 PM

I'm trying to find out as much as I can about Edward Hunter, he was my great-great grandfather. If anyone has any idea where I could find some information, I would be very grateful indeed!

Thanks

Aisling Hunter

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 03:59 PM

I am sorry I did not find out very much at all about him other than the stuff above but here is a link to his Wikipedia entry in case you haven't seen it

Billy Banjo

Regards, Geoff

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: GUEST,Joy Allison nee Hunter
Date: 26 Apr 17 - 10:42 PM

Hi ----Edward was my grandfather so am also loking for information re his time here in NZ.
Would be delighted to source a copy of his book "the road the men came home" also the Len Richardson books re the miners union
as to whether he ever sang or recited any of his poems yes he did and was Laboiur poet laureate circa 1915 NZ
this information ame via the Tait Library Wellington NZ

Subject: RE: Billy Banjo,Edward Hunter,of New Zealand
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 26 Apr 17 - 10:52 PM

Try a search on Papers Past

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=E_iBnQEACAAJ

https://www.google.co.uk/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Edward+Hunter%22