Tony Suttor interviewed by Rob Willis in the Rob and Olya Willis folklore collection.

Folkloric recording.
nla.obj-451749318
https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-451749318/listen

ORAL TRC 6124/136
Recorded on 15 May 2017 in Palmerston, Northern Territory.
3 sound files
Timed summary available.
Contributors:
Willis, Rob, 1944- interviewer. (Unknown)
Willis, Olya, interviewer. (Unknown)
Suttor, Tony interviewee. (Unknown)



       Tony was born 24.6.1950 in Merewether in Newcastle and named Anthony Hope. Family background of mother. Mother's father was a doctor at Newcastle Hospital.
       Keywords: Dr Alan Thomas Roberts
   

       Mother Barbara Dolene was a Newcastle girl and worked as a cook.
      
       Description of making ice-cream with his mother. Description of the gas fridge.
      
       Father Rex Reginald Hope Suttor enlisted in army. Also ran a horse riding school. Work as a taxi driver. Describes father's job, cost of plate and wages. Father enjoyed gambling.
      
       Other drivers of father's taxi. Story of father's gambling and SP Bookie Tommy Doyle.
      
       More on father's gambling. Father kept records of his betting. Describes cars driven by father and the colour scheme of the taxi.
      
       Mileage covered by father with his taxi business.
      
       Story about his father's experience and characters met during his work as a taxi driver.
       Keywords: Rex Reginald Hope Suttor, Bea Miles
      
       Background of grandmothers of the Suttor and Roberts family. Grandmother Hope Suttor was born in Belfast in 1878. Her career with with theatre and radio. Her participation in the Coles three thousand pound Question.
       Keywords: Kathleen Mayne Hope Suttor, Fred and Maggie Everybody, Dad and Dave, Blue Hills
      
       Grandmother Hope wrote children's books circa 1930's. Memories of his grandmother.
       Keywords: Kathleen Mayne Hope Suttor
      
       Grandmother's husband was a manager with the P&O Line. More family background on the Suttor family.
      
       More on Grandmother Hope and superstitions.
      
       Tony lived in Bellevue Hill and was educated at Lane Cove West Public School. Memories of Smoky Dawson. Family moving to Dover Heights
      
       Father leasing taxi plates on retirement.
       Keywords: Taxi business
      
       Attending Rose Bay Public School and then Sydney Grammar. Comparison to his sister's education. Observing class distinction.
      
       Had a physical disability with sight. Impact of this on him.
      
       His musical interests ranged from Beatles to Peter, Paul and Mary.
      
       Description of The Stadium. Going to a boxing match featuring Jimmy Curruthers.
      
       His relationship with his mother and father. Father's life after retirement.
      
       Music in the family home. Playing guitar and his innovation to amplify the sound.
      
       Describes the performance of Peter, Paul and Mary at The Stadium.
      
       Other performances he attended at The Stadium.
      
       Describes the Mouseketeers performance.
      
       Reminiscing.
      
       Completing his education but with no idea what he wanted to do. Notes some teachers that had an influence on him.
      
       Selling newspapers as a teenager. Payment and dress attire. Sunday morning paper calls.
       Keywords: Newspaper boys
      
       Repeats Sunday morning paper call.
      
       More on his education and his achievements.
      
       Qualifying for a Qantas apprenticeship in engineering.
      
       Family cruise. Commencing his apprenticeship in aircraft maintenance. Explanation of the course requirements. Wages during apprenticeship was paid in a mixture of currency.
      
       Payment of board. Explains his course options and describes his course.
      
       Describes the planes used by Qantas and working on a variety of planes during his apprenticeship. Describes the sections and duration of time spent in each section.
      
       Working on helicopters.
       Keywords: Qantas Engineering Apprenticeship
      
       Level of respect for the seniors workers and bosses. Information on the hierarchy within the engineering section.
      
       Time spent keeping the manuals up to date. Description given of boss Mr Kidd and the foreman.
      
       First and second year apprenticeship courses.
       Keywords: Qantas Engineering Apprenticeship
      
       Learning about traditions and maintenance of tools. Tricks played on apprentices. Tradition of initiation of apprentices.
       Keywords: Apprentice Folklore
      
       Air-operated machinery in the hangars. Description of the grease used. More about the initiation of apprentices.
       Keywords: Engineering Machinery, Apprentice Folklore
      
       Explanation of the term 'foreign order'.
      
       Strength of unions. Apprentices and union strikes. Accidents during strikes.
       Keywords: Unionism
      
       Story about catching a bus to cross the tarmac. Description of tool storage in specific hangars. Description of the tarmac bus.
       No nicknames used in his family. Known as Anthony in early school and then Tony in secondary school.
      
       Completion of his apprenticeship. Description of variety leave.
      
       Taking annual holiday in England. Returning and completing apprenticeship and leaving Qantas. Travelling and working in England. Returning to Australia.
      
       Attending folk clubs and immersing himself in music. Completing an IBM course.
      
       Working at Lucas Rotax. Describes working on a dart engine as well as fuel control unit.
      
       Paperwork that was involved while working on the units.
      
       Comparison made of Qantas Co. then and now.
      
       Tony's involvement in the folk scene through John Todhunter. Tradition of singing the club shut.
       Keywords: John Todhunter, Town Crier Folk Club
      
       Interviewer mentions a list of Tony's artistic involvements that will be included with the summary.
      
       He and Graham singing at the Baptist Coffee Shop. Singing engagements with Peter Darling and Roger Montgomery.
      
       Attending the Royal George Folk Club and other folk clubs in Sydney.
      
       Meeting Richard Evans. Learning to play button accordion. Trading concertina for a Honer accordion.
      
       Describes the versatility of the Honer 3 bass accordion. Learning to play and sing at the same time.
      
       Use of the bass to set music apart.
      
       Interviewer mentions a comment made by Greg O'Leary regarding the playing of the button accordion. Versatility of the button accordion.
      
       Interest in dance tunes. Playing for dances while working at Old Sydney Town. Method of calling dances at Old Sydney Town.
      
       Celtic music in sessions and English and Australian songs. Mention is made of Shirley Andrews comment on Scottish dance music.
       Playing dance tunes as a dance musician. Use of bellows for rhythm.
      
       National Folk Festival Sessions. Comment is made on the process of learning music through notation. Music for Playford Dances.
      
       Groups played with include The Larrikins, Wild Goose. Recording made of Wild Goose by Graham Seal.
       Keywords: The Larrikins, Wild Goose, Alan Foreshaw, Maureen Cummuskey, Graham Seal
      
       Involvement with The Larrikins.
       Keywords: The Larrikins, Warren Fahey, Liora Claff
      
       Warren Fahey and the Larrikins. Folkways was a great resource centre of music.
      
       First Larrikin record.
       Keywords: Dave De Huggard, Andrew Saunders
      
       Working at Old Sydney Town as a minstrel. Description of working as promotional agents for Old Sydney Town
       Keywords: Old Sydney Town, Eric Bogle
      
       Work at Old Sydney Town as Captain Crab and the Garden Gnomes. Recreating life of the 1830's through performances. Explains the origin of some of the sayings at Old Sydney Town.
      
       Playing at the Lachlan Vintage Village opening as the Wild Colonial Boys.
       Keywords: Lachlan Vintage Village Forbes
      
       Mention is made of other historic tourist settlements at Swan Hill and Sovereign Hill Ballarat.
      
       Old Sydney Town was a historically appropriate settlement. Describes the spontaneous performances as musicians and also performances as specific characters.
      
       Entertainment staff at Old Sydney Town. Cost of entry into Old Sydney Town.
      
       Demise of the historic tourist settlements. Left Old Sydney Town in 1980. Working with Colin Douglas touring schools in NSW and touring with Mike Jackson.
      
       Description of tours and having to find work during the school holidays.
      
       Performances of the duo as Colony. Description of shows and length of touring. Gives example of performance.
      
       More about Colin Douglas.
      
       Forming a dance bush band with Gordon McIntyre, Kate Delaney. Frank Canty called dances.
      
       Moving to Brisbane. National Folk Festival in Brisbane. Working with John Curry's Band. Band performance Greensleeves to Glitter. Repertoire of the band.
       Keywords: National Folk Festival Brisbane, John Curry, Cliff Atkinson
      
       Beginning a tour as supporting act for Buffy Sainte-Marie's tour. Description of the performances and promotion.
      
       Tony plays button accordion for all the tunes and songs.
      
       Plays song Billy of Tea.
      
       Information about the song.
      
       Skill of singing and playing at the same time. Explanation of some of the techniques.
      
       Facial Expression Band in Darwin.
      
       Plays Peek-a-Boo Waltz.
      
       Plays song The Female Morrisman.
      
       Plays Don Henderson song It's On.
      
       Playing in the band The Fettlers. Mention is made of Peter Bate his singing partner.
      
       Wirraway song collected by Don Brian in Wagga Wagga. Information about the Wirraway.
      
       Plays song Wirraway.
      
       His interest in planes and pilot lore. Background information on the Spitfire and their problem. Beatrice Shilling and her solution to the Spitfire problem.
       Keywords: Spitfires, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Beatrice Shilling
      
       Plays fragment of Sing a Song of Shilling.
      
       Gives background to the song about the Spitfires again.
      
       Plays song Sing a Song of Shilling.
      
       Plays a selection of songs and tunes.
      
       Plays a fragment of a Waltz Mazurka.
      
       Plays a medley of tunes: Manchester Gallop and Girls of Ivy.
      
       Enjoys playing for dances.
      
       Plays Jack Robinson's Set, an English Country Dance Set for Morris dancing.
      
       Plays The Nothing Girl.
       Keywords: The Nothing Girl
      
       Information on Jaffa Ah Mat.
      
       Plays Jaffa's March.
      
       Re-positioning the microphone.
      
       More of Tony's story. Travelling around with Viv (his then wife). Getting his pilot's licence. Playing music.
      
       Travelling to Darwin. Attending Alice Springs Festival in June 1982.
      
       Viv leaving. Getting involved with the Top End Folk Club. Working with the local community arts Brown's Mart as project officer. Describes the costume hiring business. Location of the venues for the Top End Folk Club.
       Keywords: Top End Folk Club, Paul Lawler, Brown's Mart
      
       Folk Club meeting at the Railway Club for music sessions. Folk club involvement with festivals.
       Keywords: Top End Folk Club
      
       National Library of Australia has recordings of the folk club sessions. Folk club sessions recorded by Terry McGinn and others.
       Keywords: Top End Folk Club
      
       Mike Hayes was asked to leave the folk club.
      
       Has no favourite bands. Description of playing with band Hilltop Handout while walking around Myer Store in Brisbane.
      
       Recording on cassettes.
      
       His personal recordings.
      
       Thunder Over Arnhem band recording. Terry Piper a songwriter writing about the mining at Jabiru.