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A Big Country – The White Rose (1979)

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In the old days education content clip 2

Original classification rating: PG. This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

Frank Bourke’s old-time dance band is probably the last of its kind in Australia. He has a loyal following of country folk who are following a tradition passed down ever since their ancestors settled the land.

Curator’s notes

by Janet Bell

One of the joys of watching any Big Country program, is the sense that one is looking at a moment in time, now gone. The documentary is incredibly slow, in comparison to the style of camera and editing we see these days, but as a record of how people would come together from miles around, to enjoy a Saturday evening dance, it’s a gem.

This is a very neatly put together sequence, capturing the country people in their best, dressed for the dance, with Frank’s band onstage as he reminisces about the past in voice-over.

Teacher’s notes

provided by The Le@rning FederationEducation Services Australia

This clip shows people enjoying a dance in rural Australia in the late 1970s. Frank Bourke, who fronted The White Rose Orchestra, provides a voice-over, describing what people enjoyed about ballroom dances. Couples are shown dancing the progressive barn dance and the Canadian three-step and stopping to applaud. While Frank and his band are shown playing, Bourke’s voice-over goes on to describe the characteristics of a dancer and the enjoyment that people derived from the ritual of dressing formally for a country dance.

Educational value points

  • Frank Bourke founded The White Rose Orchestra in 1936 and toured rural New South Wales and Queensland for more than 40 years. He constructed a recording studio on his property and produced many records. Frank Bourke was widely known as 'the King of the Dance Hall’.
  • The demeanour and actions of the men and women in this clip provide examples of social interaction in rural Australia in the 1970s. In traditional dances the man leads and the woman follows him in the steps of the dance. In the clip, women who are not dancing, known as 'wallflowers’, sit on seats around the edge of the dance floor, waiting to be asked to dance. This is in marked contrast to the situation today where women often dance with each other.
  • The clip records the kinds of dancing popular in Australia during the 20th century. Ballroom dancing has enjoyed a resurgence following the success of the film Strictly Ballroom and television programs such as Dancing with the Stars and Strictly Dancing.
  • Some dances, including those shown here, are 'progressive’, in that couples progress around the room in a circle, regularly changing partners. Interaction between couples during the dances is short but frequent and the steps followed are strictly prescribed and need to be learnt prior to the dance. Physical contact is limited by the stylised dance routines to hands, shoulders and waists. However, greater opportunity to interact with a larger group of people is provided than in more contemporary dance styles, which tend to be one to one.
  • These scenes suggest the recreational and social role of dance in rural Australia in the 1970s. Although appearing gentle or slow, this type of dancing, including the waltz, foxtrot and quickstep, is physically demanding and provides exercise by raising the heart rate for an extended period. As well as physical exercise, dancing also provides social interaction and opportunities for relaxation.
  • The fact, highlighted by the voice-over, that participants changed into their good clothes and sometimes travelled hundreds of kilometres to attend country dances offers insights into Australian rural culture in the 1970s. Many people on farms and in small country towns were isolated, and country dances were high points on their social calendar.