History of the Illawarra Folk Club

The Illawarra Folk Club was formed in 1979 and has had various locations around Wollongong for its concerts, including:

• Coniston Hotel (first venue)
• Wollongong Tennis Club
• Bridge Theatre, Coniston
• Faces On Crown
• Wongawilli Community Hall
• Illawarra Leagues Club
• Illawarra Performing Arts Centre
• Fraternity Club
• Shellharbour Bowling Club
• Kembla Grange Golf Club
• Jamberoo Valley Lodge
• Mount Kembla Hotel
• Lysaghts Bowling Club
• The Ukrainian Club
• Polish Club
• City Diggers Wollongong (current main venue)

It draws its membership generally from the Illawarra region of New South Wales.

It has presented the Illawarra Folk Festival at Jamberoo and Bulli since its inception in 1986, with one folk festival organised in 1985 at Wilton in association with the NSW Folk Federation and Bankstown Folk Club.

Club Presidents have included:

• Alan Musgrove
• Kevin Baker
• Vince Brophy
• Anne Fox
• Peter Williams
• Peter Kerr
• Roger Fleming
• Russell Hannah

Illawarra Folk Festival Directors have been:

• Chris Cartledge (1986-1990)
• John Harpley (1991-1995)
• David De Santi (1996-2010)
• from 2011-2021 role was split into Operations Director and Artistic Director
• Cody Munro Moore (2022 to present)

Illawarra Folk Festival Operations Directors:

• Neil Rowsell (2011-2021)
• Tom O'Toole (2022)
• Ben Davies (2023 to present)

Artistic Directors

• David De Santi (2011 to present)
• Kay Proudlove (2023 to present)

Honorary Life members:

• Anne Fox*
• Mairi Petersen
• George Petersen*
• John Harpley
• Marie Harpley
• Dot Roberts
• Henry Roberts*
• Russell Hannah
• Bev Hannah
• David De Santi
• Tania De Santi
• Tony Foley
  • * deceased

The Club has also organised special folk music related tours over the years:

• 1989 Kuranda National Folk Festival Tour through northern NSW and Queensland
• 1990 Adelaide National Folk Festival Tour via the Grampians, Murray River (houseboats) and the Great Ocean Road
• 1994 Bushranger Tour to central NSW - Forbes, Eugowra, Carcoar
• 2006 Tin Hare Tour to Cowra, Young
• 2009 to 2016 Perisher Peak Festival