Frank Jones

Storyteller/Performer, Entertainer, Curriculum Specialist

Frank Jones is one of Australia’s most gifted songwriters. He wrote Melbourne’s unofficial anthem, My Brown Yarra (Whirling Furphies), and currently writes for his new band, BiG FOLK, and for many other Australian performers.

Where were you born?

My Dad drove up the wrong side of Victoria Parade in Melbourne to get Mum to the hospital in time to deliver me. They’ve erected a memorial multi-storey carpark on the site now.

What other jobs have you had?

I studied Architecture and still work part-time in this field, but my favourite job was crushing ice, chopping wood and delivering briquettes for the Crappers in Fairfield when I was a kid.

What themes are recurring in your work?

Rivers, rivers and rivers. The environment. I’m a songwriter – I write love songs.

What have been the highlights of your career?

I was awarded the Lawson Paterson Songwriters Award at Port Fairy Music Festival in 1998. Along the way I have also picked up two Labor Day Song Awards and an Australian Songwriters Association First Prize. Hearing your own songs played on the radio never stops being a highlight, nor does hearing someone sing one of your songs around a campfire.