Obit: Bernard Bolan - Australia

Subject: RE: Obit: Bernard Bolan - Australia
From: GerryM
Date: 25 May 26 - 09:25 AM

Eric Bogle posted to Facebook:

And another one bites the dust…..my old mate Bernard Bolan died earlier this week in Beechworth, Victoria.
I first met Bernard in the early 70’s, through folk music of course, he was a well established and popular performer on the scene at the time while I was just an apprentice lunchtime legend. Though probably better known for his very witty and funny songs, viz: “Rose Bay Ferry” and “Basingstoke” he could also engage the heart with his more serious creations like “The Old Number 10” and “Uncle Fred”
Anyway, we became good friends and had many most enjoyable musical and camping/spear-fishing coastal trips over the years.
But the future pulled us, sometimes unwillingly, on, and we went off in different directions, lives to live, challenges to face, demons to beat etc, etc,. After defeating some significant demons Bernard settled in Beechworth where he created a peaceful calm existence and an absolutely beautiful garden, and became known, much to his secret pleasure I think, as a bit of a town eccentric
Anyway, he was my friend, a witty, talented , and at heart ,a gentle sort of bloke. His garden will miss him, and so shall I….

[Personally, I'd put "Uncle Fred" in the very witty and funny category, rather than the more serious category, but who am I to argue with Eric Bogle?]

Subject: RE: Obit: Bernard Bolan - Australia
From: Hrothgar
Date: 25 May 26 - 09:08 AM

He had a wonderful way with words, both in his comic songs and his serious songs, and was a lovely, gentle person as well.

RIP Bernard

Subject: RE: Obit: Bernard Bolan - Australia
From: GerryM
Date: 25 May 26 - 09:00 AM

Warren Fahey, who has been known to post to Mudcat, posted this on Facebook:

Farewell to BERNARD BOLAN who has passed away. Bernard was one of Larrikin Record’s ‘stars’ and his songs had a special magic bringing smiles to audiences everywhere. I put him on many concerts over the years, including my first SydneyFestival Opera House folklife concerts. HE was also a regular on SundayFolk on ABCFM. Sydney ABC radio announcer Clive Robertson repeatedly played Bernard’s ‘Rose Bay Ferry’. Bernard had a wicked sense of humour (especially for a taxation lawyer!) and was a wonderful friend to so many people in the folk world. Bernard Bolan definitely did ‘Send the City Sunshine’ through his songs and warm company.

Subject: RE: Obit: Bernard Bolan - Australia
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 May 26 - 08:59 AM

he was a good bloke & wrote lotsa' great songs. We had some good conversations.

Bernard Bolan

Bernard Bolan Tribute Concert 2019 - this is a recording of the Tribute concert for Bernard that was performed at the 2019 Sydney Folk Festival. He was there and made a speech at the end if you would just like to watch that.

3 of his albums

The Toorak Tram

Basingstoke - Australian folk singer / songwriter / humourist with an early version of one of his most popular songs. This is taken from the TV series Ratbags which only aired in 1981, thus pre-dating Bernard's recording of the song by a couple of years.

Subject: RE: Obit: Bernard Bolan - Australia
From: GerryM
Date: 25 May 26 - 08:57 AM

Here's a link to the album, "the liveliness of the long playing Bernard Bolan":
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-a2DwGpRzjcqDZM0TpKhlwbSSiUNgToZ

Subject: RE: Obit: Bernard Bolan - Australia
From: GerryM
Date: 25 May 26 - 08:51 AM

Daniel, your link got me to

This content isn't available at the moment
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people or changed who can see it, or it's been deleted.

Subject: RE: Obit: Bernard Bolan - Australia
From: Daniel Kelly
Date: 25 May 26 - 08:17 AM

Link to the post for the fixer of broken things:

Subject: Obit: Bernard Bolan - Australia
From: Daniel Kelly
Date: 25 May 26 - 08:13 AM

Christ Church Anglican Parish in Beechworth has announced the passing of Bernard Bolan on their Facebook page. Content copied below.

Lawyer, songwriter, musician, passionate gardener and Christ Church parishioner Bernard Bolan died earlier this week.

Born and growing up in Lancashire in the United Kingdom, Bernard moved in 1969 from England to Australia, living and working in Sydney where he became head tax lawyer for CSR, a major sugar company. With CSR, Bernard later authored with his boss leading papers on tax reform, taking the argument up to prime ministers Paul Keating and successor John Howard to get on with it and introduce Australia's goods and services tax (GST). Which Howard did in 2000.

Bernard was also an active and highly-regarded folk musician, writing in the 1970s an Australian Top 40 chart-topping hit, The Rose Bay Ferry, and recording best-selling albums, including ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????? ??????????. He used his legal skills to set up the operating structure for Australia's acclaimed Woodford Folk Festival.

'Whether he sings of his dogs, his loves, his life as a city gent or getting his equipment caught in lift doors, a Bernard Bolan performance is an unforgettable experience,' digital radio station last.fm notes in their slate on Bernard. You can see and hear on YouTube more of Bernard's songwriting, singing and humour in a 2019 tribute concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrphkdonnFY.

Later in life Bernard relocated to Beechworth where his passion for plants came brilliantly to life in his large hillside garden, opening to the public in October 2014 with another five local gardens, and for an International Dendrology Society Australian tour in May 2015. He responded with his fine, modest courtesy to a visitor's compliment about his ?????????????????????? ?????????????? (the rare Chinese fringe tree): 'My Chionanthus thanks you for your kind words, and also for this morning's rain.'

A close friend of Bernard's commented this week: "A gentle man. A private man. He had a full and busy life."

Our Christ Church Beechworth community will celebrate Bernard's life with a service of Requiem Mass (but it is NOT a funeral service) led by the Venerable Matthew Healy, Archdeacon, with the Reverend Sue Hall:

When: Wednesday, 27 May, 2026
Time: 10:00am
Where: Anglican Christ Church, 27 Ford Street, Beechworth

Friends and parishioners are warmly invited to attend.

Vale, Bernard.