A more exhaustive comprehensive report on the Revivification of the 'Pilbara Connection'

Hello out there Pilbarians, past and present, and any other interested Ozzers . . it is with great pleasure that we announce a revivification of the 'Pilbara Connection' The Pilbara!! Magical land. Toured up there with the Mucky Duck last century, in the late Seventies, early Eighties. a sweet while before F.FIFO. When the Pilbara mining community was just that. Living towns full of vitality and significance.
In the year of 1985, I (Roger) take a brief to travel up to the mining towns and ports to see if working folk still wrote poems and songs of their travails and triumphs, as they did of yore. They did that in spades! . . and shovels! . . confounding the City Suits . . I meet half a dozen of these pre tour, 'teaching some culchuur to the gorillas' laughing heartily . . 'gorillas, is that spelled with a ue?' I smart-asked . . didn't laugh at that, three didn't get it. The Arts Council confounded too. 'It's a long shot, go for it' . . we did. . . Thirteen weeks later (1985), I came back with over three hundred songs, poems, cartoons and stories from a grand variety of folk from the Pilbara. When the Pilbara Mining Community was just that. Living towns full of vitality and significance . . sadly many photos and info from that mission have vanished into the maw of a tripping digital age . . these good folk? . . who? . . and where?
Over three hundred songs, poems and stories! From all those folk that I met and mixed with in their doughty towns and ports . . such good craic . . made some good lifetime friends. All manner of the Pilbara people shared their testaments, from the shop floor to the office. Stories from their lives, back then. Slices of life . . un-adorned and un-redacted . . no need to say more . . but . . who was this good woman? → Over three hundred songs, poems, cartoons and stories!! How could we not keep going on with this treasure trove from the heart of the Pilbara . . . . so, with the blessings of the Unions, the Australian Folk Trust and the Art in Working Life mob, and the sterling support of the indomitable Iris Jones we set to.
Started off with a $13,000 budget, and over the next six months or so, this expanded to over $50,000 of hard fought importunings from the Unions and the Arts Council, morphing into a book, an LP record (remember those?) and a 'Pilbara Connection' concert at the Perth Concert Hall in '86. Far out! With the ABC's Ted Bull, Master of Ceremonies. Added addendum . . The Concert Hall Stage, the setting, a Pilbara backyard . . eskies, sun brollies, tables and chairs and a banana lounge . . with musos . . (from the Album and concert) . .
A couple of years ago, we, John A. and Roger M. sat in the backyard of the Big Picture Factory in Belmont, celebrating life with Pete Stone, top mate, prime printer (and publisher of the first printing of the first Pilbara Connection book/concert programme/L.P. album cover) and resolved to re-print the book, and ask Davy Browne (ex Ducker and good bloke) to re-format the LP onto a CD. This has been duly done . . the only thing we forgot, was to find out who wrote 'Exit the Badger' a startlingly good short story in the book. We omitted the author's name way back then, and, by the Great Balls of Sherrin . . we did it again! . . so if anyone can please throw a light on the author, we will add a doubly apologetic sticker to said author, enabling us rectify this glaring omission . . . . when we get around to it, we'll include pertinent reports and documents, and please be advised that every effort from the Pilbarians is documented in the Battye Library in Perth.
To order CD's, Books, or both please contact Peter Stone at THE BIG PICTURE FACTORY in Perth.
Street Address 119 Campbell Street Rivervale Western Australia 6103 Telephone +61 (08) 9478 2611 Email info@tbpf.com.au	Postal Address PO Box 254 Belmont Western Australia 6984 Fax +61 (08) 9478 2811