Dancing was part and parcel  of life in rural Australia and nothing really changed for years with the dress code in the country halls. Men wore their suits and the women their full length gowns and long white gloves. The children were in the background  at these functions which was normal for many families. They eventually fell asleep on the canvas seats pushed to the back of the hall which doubled as the picture theatre. The charity balls in my Outback series were the real thing. The music of the country bands will stay in my heart always. This is a description in one of my novels:

     The music continued with the nimble fingers of the piano player never tiring, transforming a keyboard into tunes that made the dancing couples sway and swing. The drummer never missed a beat and the violin player was a maestro of harmony who made his instrument croon to the melodies of the gifted pianist. The melodious contribution of the saxophone added the extra quality that set the country dance band apart from any other in the district. 

     Dancing is returning to our lives again on the television set with shows like Dancing with the Stars which bring back memories of beautiful gowns and astonishing music which country people accomplished with very little cost. Every family had a dressmaker – most families had a musician. Dancing, music and dressing for the occasion was part and parcel of country life in rural Australia.

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