JOHN BROOMHALL TRIBUTE FEATURING PENNY DAVIS AND ROGER ILOTT
John was and is a celebrated singer & writer of the Australian Folk scene. He will be remembered for his anthemic song “Time is a Tempest” that has closed the Illawarra Folk Festival many times.
Penny Davis and Roger Ilott, longtime friends of John, will lead the tribute concert, performing some of his iconic songs, and together with a large cast of musicians and friends of John, they will also help celebrate the wonderful life of this much loved musician and storyteller.
Fond recollections by Penny and Roger (from Penny & Rogers’ Facebook – 20 March, 2026)
John Broomhall 1948-2026
John Broomhall was a songwriter and a true poet. He made a significant contribution to Australian folk music, turning the works of many bush poets into songs. He also wrote many songs of his own, some documenting the turbulent history of our country since colonisation, some about love, family and the beauty of our natural environment.
Penny Davies and I first met John at a gig at Bankstown Folk in early 1984. He’d just released his first album, Broken Hill Miner, and we’d just released our first album, Restless, late the previous year. That night he held the audience in thrall with his own songs, and had them joining enthusiastically on the choruses of songs such as Ring Of Iron – it was folk music magic.
From then until our move to Storm King, Queensland in August, 1987, John recorded three albums – Free As The Breeze, In The Days When The Anzacs Were New, and Drifting Down The Darling – plus dozens of other songs at our Restless Music studio in Balmain. Sometimes he would come to the studio with his classical guitar and record 15 or 20 songs in a three hour session. It was a prolific time in his life. We also collaborated on several other recording projects, during those incredibly creative years.
Over the last few decades, whenever we’ve caught up with him, John would be bubbling with enthusiasm about songs, books or poems. We’ve recorded our own versions of many of his songs, and archived his unreleased recordings on the 2 x CD set Balmain Recordings 1984-1987.
We were so glad we were able to spend time with him in August last year in Springbrook, Gold Coast Hinterland, just prior to his admission into a retirement/care home. We have lost a wonderful friend and valued colleague. Australian folk music has lost one of its best.