Australian country music facts for kids

Olivia Newton-John.

Australian country music is a part of the music of Australia. It comes from American country music, as well as British and Irish folk music and the work of traditional Australian poets like Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson. Australian country music often uses guitars, banjos, fiddles and harmonicas and has songs about things like: outback life, stockmen, truckers and outlaws, romance, political protest and the "beauty and the terror" of the Australian bush. Famous musicians include: Slim Dusty, Joy McKean, Olivia Newton-John, John Williamson, Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan and Kasey Chambers. Others singers influenced by it include Nick Cave and Paul Kelly. Popular songs include Waltzing Matilda (1895), Pub With No Beer (1957), Lights on the Hill (1973), I Honestly Love You (1974), True Blue (1981), and Not Pretty Enough (2002).

Musicians and music groups

Reg Lindsay.

Troy Cassar-Daley.

Lee Kernaghan.

Keith Urban.

Kasey Chambers.

Musicians

• Paul Costa
• 8 Ball Aitken
• Johnny Ashcroft
• Sherrie Austin
• James Blundell
• Adam Brand
• Catherine Britt
• Kev Carmody
• Kelly Cooper
• Troy Cassar-Daley
• Kasey Chambers
• Graeme Connors
• Tracy Coster
• Smoky Dawson
• Shea Fisher
• Steve Forde
• Adam Harvey
• Wayne Horsburgh
• Jedd Hughes
• Gina Jeffries
• Gay Kayler
• Lee Kernaghan
• Anne Kirkpatrick
• The Legarde Twins
• Reg Lindsay
• Jimmy Little
• Joy McKean
• Chad Morgan
• Olivia Newton-John
• Shane Nicholson
• Jamie O'Neal
• Jasmine Rae
• Archie Roach
• Mary Schneider
• Slim Dusty
• Sara Storer
• Keith Urban
• John Williamson

Musical groups

• The Bushwackers
• Carter & Carter
• The Distance
• The Donovans
• The Flood
• The McClymonts
• The Robertson Brothers
• The Sunny Cowgirls
• Women in Docs
• Caroline
• Karma County
• Redgum
• Deep Creek

Images for kids

• 

  Slim Dusty, who was the best-selling domestic country artist

• 

  Early country star Johnny Ashcroft

• 

  A 1905 collection of old bush songs compiled by Banjo Paterson. Australian country music is heavily influenced by American country music, but grew also out of an Australian tradition of Bush ballads and poetry.

• 

  Chad Morgan, the "clown prince" of Australian country music. Morgan has been performing since the 1950s. His works are peppered with colourful Australian vernacular.

• 

  Statue of "The Cunnamulla Fella" erected as a tribute to songwriter Stan Coster and singer Slim Dusty

• 

  Country singer Melinda Schneider with folk-rocker Paul Kelly

• 

  Lee Kernaghan

• 

  Keith Urban

• 

  Archie Roach (right) with Ruby Hunter at the 2009 Tamworth Country Music Festival