Larrikin Records was founded in 1974 by folklore collector and musician Warren Fahey. The company was an extension of Folkways Music, a retail music outlet specialising in folkloric recordings and publications established in 1973. Larrikin Records' aims were to publish and commercially release extended play recordings featuring Australian traditional folk music and songs for both educational and entertainment purposes. At the time mainstream record companies did not show any interest in publishing folkloric material.

The first recording released by Larrikin was Songs of the Earth: Songs of the Australian Mining Industry assisted by the Mining and Geology Museum of Sydney. The next release, Bush Traditions, featured traditional singers that Fahey had recorded on various field trips throughout Australia. By 1995 Larrikin Records had become a widely respected recording and distribution company featuring Australian contemporary artists such as Eric Bogle, Cathie O'Sullivan and Redgum. Larrikin also released numerous recordings of Australian indigenous music and spoken word.

Throughout its history the label continuously released specialist and educational recordings about Australian folklore. Larrikin Records also became one of Australia's largest distributors of world and folk music labels from all over the world including Rounder Records, Real World and Shanachie. It also distributed releases published by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Larrikin periodically acted as a booking agency and numerous international performers were toured in Australia by the company including Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Larrikin Records was sold to Festival Mushroom records in 1995.

Information from

• National Union Catalogues - Music Australia

Record number

Converted-ruth-6

Started

• 1974

Finished

• 1995

Operated at

• Sydney, NSW

References

• G. Beed Davey (ed.) and G. Seal (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Australian Folklore, Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press, 1993
• John Whiteoak (ed.) and Aline Scott-Maxwell (ed.), Currency Companion to Music and Dance in Australia, Sydney: Currency Press, 2003
• Seal, Graham and Willis, Rob, Verandah Music, Fremantle, WA: Curtin University Books, 2003
• Festival Mushroom Records website: History http://www.festivalrecords.com.au/history.cfm Last accessed 13 August 2004

Updated

13 August 2004

To cite this page

http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-ma-ANL%3AMA~Converted-ruth-6