Story: Folk, country and blues music

The inimitable Charles Thatcher, Ballarat, 1855

The inimitable Charles Thatcher, Ballarat, 1855

Humorist and balladeer 'the inimitable' Charles Thatcher performs at the Charlie Napier Hotel on the Australian goldfield of Ballarat in 1855. Thatcher was a highly popular entertainer on both sides of the Tasman. He made extensive tours of New Zealand's goldfields and towns in the 1860s, and his satirical ballads about local characters and events were so popular that some gained the status of folk songs.

Using this item

National Library of Australia
Reference: nla.pic-an2376957
Watercolour by Samuel Thomas Gill, 1855

Permission of the National Library of Australia must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Chris Bourke, 'Folk, country and blues music - Folk music – the voice of the people, 1790s to 1920s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/42428/the-inimitable-charles-thatcher-ballarat-1855 (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by Chris Bourke, published 22 Oct 2014