The legend of the bush goes back to the early 20th century, and ballads from this era have come to be some of the most representative writings of an Australian ethos.
Now, these ballads live on through Kevin James, more commonly known as ‘The Last Swaggie Man’.
Mr James has been fascinated by Australian folklore and cultural heritage for years, and is on a mission to bring the spirit of the bush to the next generation with his live, interactive music programs in pre-schools across Queensland and New South Wales.
“I like to keep the tradition of the bush, and the culture of the 1800s alive,” Mr James said.
With his possessions rolled up in his swag, the local has been making his way through Australia, performing the likes of Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson for the past 30 years.
“I’ve traveled through the country from town to town, and I perform in all the pre-schools, running an Australian music show– there’s nothing like that around,” he said.
“I’ve learnt a lot of bush stories and a lot of bush music over the years, and I talk to people in towns and I sing about shearers and drovers– the old heritage music.
“I just follow in the spirit of the Swaggie Man, that’s what keeps me going.”
Mr James said his goal is to “teach children our history”.
“I show them how to make bush instruments and we play a lot of things connected to Australia.
“Some of the songs I use are over 150 years old, but some of the modern ones I do are ‘Home Amongst the Gumtrees’ or some others are about the Australiana landscape.
“I also make the same instruments they had in the 1800s; shakers, washboards, lagerphones”.
Mr James said he has always been connected to music, and he discovered its capability when he worked in aged care for over 10 years.
Mr James said he ran music programs for dementia patients to help improve their mental health and he wanted to extend this sentiment to the next generation.
“I use music as a tool to encourage and to motivate, because people with dementia can often be depressed, so each time I came into the center I would lift their spirits up through music,” he said.
“They’ve only got memories from way back for me only like 5, 10 seconds really, and so I’d tap in on that.
“And then I decided I wanted something different in my life connected to music, because I could see how powerful it was, so I changed the program and went to one school and it just took off from there.”
Now, the 67-year-old’s music program is in high-demand amongst schools in the area.
So much so, he said, that he is looking to hire “an enthusiastic teacher to join his team”.
And so, it seems the legacy of the bush will continue to live on.
