Roger Montgomery


Curriculum Vitae . . truncated (as from June 2011)

Entering Australia in early 1965 as a 10 Pound Tourist,  Roger spent the first twelve years exploring the Eastern States, engaged in a variety of jobs, from driving cranes, trucks and forklifts, cotton chipping, pre-stressing (and being stressed by) concrete, an industrial therapist at Glenside Mental Hospital (S.A), working on the auto line at Chrysler, traffic light installation through to fruit-picking (naturally) and accepting the odd managerial position, all the while gaining many valuable insights into workaday Australia.

The evenings were spent playing in various bands/groups specialising in performing Australian and Irish music.

From 1977-1984, moving West, Roger became firstly roadie and then frontman for the Mucky Duck Bush Band, performing at schools, evening gigs, woolshed dances and a myriad pub sessions throughout W.A. and S.A. Whilst with the Duck, an extensive 'Life Be-In-It' schools programme was brought into fruition, taking Australian music and dance to city and country classrooms. He also conceived and wrote the script for 'Moondyne Joe', a musical play for the 1980 Festival of Perth, a very successful collaboration with the then 'Hole in the Wall Company', and has also acted up in several other plays with the 'Hole' (Oedipus the King and a Midsummer Night's Dream)

Leaving the 'Duck', Roger took out a Free Lancer's ticket, working in a variety of positions for various Arts Councils, the A.C.T.U. & T.L.C., the Corporate Body, schools and local councils, handling many projects e.g. 'The Pilbara Connection'. . a nine month venture involving songs and poems collected from the iron-ore families of the N.West of W.A. Many other projects and residencies over the years have been successfully undertaken, ranging from Perth to the North-West, across to N.S.W, Victoria and up to the N.T.

Roger has written and co-produced six radio ballads for A.B.C.F.M. Two solo productions 'The Life and Times of Jack Sorensen' and ' Turbulent Times in W.A's Great North West', and co-written (with mega talent Tim Lambert) 'Gallipoli . . Over Here, Over There', 'Mad Dan Morgan' and the harrowing 'Bad, Sometimes Brutal Days for Bruce', all musical radio plays. He and the ABC also co-produced Moondyne Joe, the Radio Play

Throughout the last seventeen years Roger has also been playing around with the Dingo's Breakfast Oz Music and Poetry Band, travelling North, South and Interstate. (too wet to the West) 'doing' Festivals, Woolshed Dances, Cabaret and Quiz nights and the odd session, as well as numerous residences. For the last five years he and long time friend John Angliss have toured the Eastern States 'doing various festivals' (LINK)

Energy is also applied to 'The Bruce Brothers', working with noted comedian and writer Jon Doust, posing as a couple of slightly twisted Aussie yarnsters, taking Oz Poetry and Yarns to comedy clubs, various Big Biz and Gov. seminars, dinners and lunches etc. and on mini-tours North and South.

Also performs knock-a-bout poetry, either under the name of 'Two Bloody Poets' with Yarn Spinning and Poetry Champion, Peter Capp, or as a solo act. He has taken his poetry to schools, has worked in Comedy Clubs in W.A and Victoria (terribly hair-raising experiences) and regularly entertains at private functions, state and interstate festivals and as an after dinner speaker at various Big biz seminars and conferences.

Roger was a regular tutor for the Perth Theatre Trust's 'Theatre Go Round', an annual children's theatre project, did a three year stint working with two Senior Citizens Groups in the Kalamunda Shire, teaching all facets of theatre skills, from writing and performing through to three successful productions. Roger was employed for six months by Princess Margaret Children's Hospital (WA) as a Music Therapist (un-qualified) he was asked to continue but declined due to over-empathy. (cowardice)

    He is a certified Theatre Sports Player, and with Mike Burns is co-writer and co-producer of a gamelan Ned Kelly play 'Wayang Kelly' using shadow puppets and a mix of Australian  and Indonesian music. The play follows the Kelly Saga, in the attendance of several visiting Indonesian gods curious about Oz gods and their heroes. Roger joined the troupe as a tyro dhalang and performed in a six hour version of Wayang Kelly at the 1998 Surabaya (Java) Arts Festival, to the great pleasure of all and sundry. Wayang Kelly was also performed at the 2010 National Festival (Canberra) Two performances, two standing ovations.

    He has recently published and launched his fifth book. [1]Moondyne Joe (the stage play) [2] The Pilbara Connection. [3] Kicking Against the Pricks. [4] Still Kicking Against the Pricks. [5] Drowning in Lunatic Soup (Part Three of Uncle Jimbo's History of Oz) . He is in the process of writing a 'Handbook for Real Men'. Watch this space.

    Roger's great on-going literary challenge is to complete 'Uncle Jimbo's 'History of White Australia'. This three part Radio Ballad is nearing completion. Part one 'The Right and Proper Currency' and part three 'Drowning in Lunatic Soup',  have been performed around  Oz by the Dingoes, to critical acclaim . . .Part Two, 'Battles, Battlers and Right Bastards' is currently being worked on. ( for more info on UJ . . [LINK]

(for a simpler timeline . . [LINK]


Roger's last major project was a beauty !! - Telescopic Roger ! . . . but . .   [LINK]



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