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Story: Folk, country and blues music

The inimitable Charles Thatcher, Ballarat, 1855

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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.

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National Library of Australia

Reference: nla.pic-an2376957

by Samuel Thomas Gill

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, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/42428/the-inimitable-charles-thatcher-ballarat-1855 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Chris Bourke, published 2 September 2013.