A Celebration of John Clarke

Jul 10, 2017, 08:44 PM

On Sunday 2 July, crowds filled the Melbourne Town Hall to pay tribute – and share in the humour of – the late satirist John Clarke. Here, we're sharing photos and a full audio recording of the event, as well as a rundown of the evening's programme. 

In this episode Aunty Carolyn BriggsWelcome to Country.

Bryan DaweA few words on John.

Brian Dawe — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Lorin ClarkeThank you, welcome, and a little bit about the programme for the evening.

Lorin Clarke — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Mary KenneallySeamus Heaney’s ‘Post Script’.

Judy HoracekAn excerpt from ‘Quiz Answers’, a series printed in the Age and on John’s website.

Richard KeddieOn working with John Clarke.

Michael HeywardOn working with John as an editor. Ended with John reading from The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse (CD).

Wendy HarmerReading from John’s latest collection of little stories, ‘Commonplace’, in Meanjin.

Martin FlanaganReading from John’s book, The Tournament.

Wendy Harmer — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Martin Flanagan — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Gina RileyReading her own poem, ‘John John Morrison Morrison’, heavily influenced by A. A. Milne, whom John believed to be heavily influenced by Australian poet RACV Milne (and whose work, discovered by John, is here).

Shane MaloneyOn John and golf, frisbee, diving, and Shane’s cameo role in Stiff and The Brush Off.

Chris Wallace-CrabbeReading Part III of Auden’s ‘In Memory of W.B. Yeats’.

Paul Kelly, Vika and Linda Bull, Paul Dempsey, and Jeremy SmithSinging Meet Me in the Middle of the Air, by Paul Kelly.

Andrew DentonReading Anthony Cronin’s ‘For a Father’.

Andrew Denton — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Fahey Scott-YoungerReading ‘Frustration’ and ‘Comment’ by Dorothy Parker.

Geoffrey RushReading ‘A Child’s Christmas in Warrnambool’ from John’s book, The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse.

Rod QuantockReading extracts from Flann O’Brien's column in The Irish Times.

John WolseleyOn bird-watching. Ended with Callimachus's poem, 'Heraclitus'.

John Wolseley — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Kaz Cooke — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Related reading 15 Apr 2017 Note

Remembering John Clarke  /  Life & death

Guest post by Kaz Cooke

Kaz CookeOn emailing, including a version of this story about driving delivery vans in London.

Michael LeunigOn reading a poem together.

Amanda SmithOn John and sport, and Wednesdays at the ABC. The sporting documentary project Amanda and John worked on together was Sporting Nation.

Barry JonesOn John’s passion for music. Reading A.D. Hope’s ‘Death of a Bird’.

Affinity Collective: Kristian Winther and Mee Na LojewskiMaurice Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello (1920-22) II Très vif.

David WenhamReading ‘The Resolution of Conflict (concerning the Federated Under Tens’ Association and The Massed Five Year Olds)’ from John’s book, A Complete Dagg.

Ginette McDonaldOn John in New Zealand and London.

Ginette McDonald — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Colin Lane and Frank Woodley — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Colin Lane and Frank WoodleyA tribute to Clarke and Dawe.

Mac GudgeonReading Gerard Manley Hopkins's 'The Windhover'.

Sam NeillOn John being an outsider. Reading Michael Leunig’s cartoon in honour of John.

Sam Neill — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)

Matthew SavilleTelling a story about John going body surfing.

Paul Kelly, Vika and Linda Bull, Paul Dempsey and Jeremy Smith with Melbourne Indie Voices (choir)Performing 'The Parting Glass' (Scottish/Irish traditional song).

Paul Kelly, Vika and Linda Bull, Paul Dempsey and Jeremy Smith with Melbourne Indie Voices — (Photo: Jon Tjhia)