[1] Its repertoire primarily comprises Australian folk music, bush ballads and music for bush dances, varied occasionally with material from the celtic, bluegrass and old-time traditions.
Formed by a group of ANU students in the early 1970s, the band first performed in Queanbeyan in 1974.
It was first known as Franklyn B Paverty and the Platte Valley Crooners, as, writes Ben Hope, "as a tongue-in-cheek dedication to the jazz musician by the same name".
It has also shared the stage with Billy Connolly, The Dubliners, The Hollies, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Slim Dusty and Eric Bogle.
[4] Band members over its history included Dave Chalker, Graham Chalker, Bryan Rae, Mal Bennett, Tom Breen, Mark Tandy, Ros Haskew, Fiona Mahoney, Dave O'Neill, Donal Baylor, Frank and Bernie Nizynski, Mike Jackson, John Warner, Bob Buckley, Peter Hobson, Peter Logue, Simone Dawson, Mary Firkins and John Taylor.