Sally Sloane, born on October 3, 1894, as Eunice Evelyn Frost, was arguably one of the most significant Australian source musicians, preserving Australian Irish traditional music and songs. Many of her tunes and songs were passed down from her Irish grandmother, who migrated to Australia in 1838, via her mother. Living in Lithgow, New South Wales, Sally was in her 60s when discovered by Australian folklorist John Meredith in 1954. She was a talented singer and skilled at playing the button accordion, fiddle, and mouth organ. Between 1954 and 1960, Meredith recorded over 150 pieces from her, now housed at the National Library of Australia, with nearly 40 transcriptions featured in his influential 1967 book, Folk Songs of Australia; And the Men and Women Who Sang Them, co-authored with Hugh Anderson. She recorded on the Wattle label and can be heard on the album 'Australian Traditional Singers and Musicians (Archive Series No 1)' singing eight songs. Other collectors also recorded her, and an LP of her singing, 'A Garland For Sally,' was released by Warren Fahey's Larrikin Records. Sally passed away in 1982.
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