Victorian Folk Music Club inc
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In the days before the Snowy Mountains scheme, Corryong was the end point of the only roads in, and I chose the shorter route past Tallangatta. The last section through thick timber and up over the ranges was all rough gravel. There was so little traffic that, when I found myself about to cross a railway line near the very small settlement of Koetong I consulted my map anxiously to make sure I was still on the right road. I was relieved to find that the road to Corryong appeared to be the only one that had such a crossing so I pressed on, and arrived thankfully in Corryong in the late afternoon. The details I had been given as to where the dance would be held had been vague and I had been told to consult a Mr Brown who had a garage in the main street. He seemed confused by my enquiry and suggested I must mean the dance at the Corryong Hall that night.
I was more confused when I arrived there, as instructed, to find it set up as a cabaret ball and the band featuring saxophones rather than accordions. The young man on the door assured me 'You should be at the Nariel Hall', and provided details of how to get there. As it was now dark and a heavy summer fog had settled down, the drive proved somewhat wearing. It started somewhat dramatically when I took the first turn after the usual green roadside notice indicating that the Nariel turnoff was coming up and quickly found my headlights shining into the Nariel Creek! The correct turnoff is, of course, on the other side of the creek. The road was then mostly gravel and my small car chugged slowly along, its headlights making very little penetration through the thick fog. I seemed to be going deeper and deeper into the interior of an uninhabited land! At last I came up with a tractor and was relieved to be told by its driver that the Hall was really there -'just a few miles on'. I seemed to have been travelling for hours when its lights loomed up dimly out of the fog. I had dashed back to the hotel for my map when I learnt that I had to travel out to Nariel and, in the confusion had left my handbag on the bed. However the typical Nariel hospitality soon solved that problem as when I explained this to the door-minder, he welcomed me in.
Even then I nearly disgraced myself due to not being very familiar with country and western music. Max Dyer, a very good singer in this style as well as in the folk style, was singing one so mournful that I wrongly took it as a parody. However, a quick look at the solemn faces around and I smartly wiped the silly grin off my face in time to prevent disaster. I was disappointed at first to found that this particular dance was a standard 50-50 dance with a mixture of the usual couples dances, but no sets. But I cheered up when I saw the medley which was the final dance. This included the Manchester Galop, Varsoviana, a very neat Polka, Highland Schottische and Circular Waltz so I knew that they would know other earlier dances. Having made contact with Con and the band and arranged for our group to meet them next day, I faced the foggy road more cheerfully on the return trip to my Corryong hotel.
Official site of the Victorian Folk Music Club Incorporated (Reg No A2511Y)