[Dixielandjazz] Vale Peter JF Newton

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Friends,
Very sadly, I advise that our friend Peter passed away peacefully in Springwood Hospital at 10.15pm on Saturday, 29th September 2013 following his long illness.
Funeral details will be advised when known.
Very kind regards,
Bill.

Peter JF Newton was born in Croydon, England in 1935, served with the RAF, emigrated to Australia in 1960, joined the Sydney jazz scene shortly after and became one of its distinguished activists as a writer, historian, discographer and broadcaster.
He served as a long-time director, vice-president and life member of the Sydney Jazz Club, was (from 1988) the editor of the Club's magazine 'Quarterly Rag' and the author of its published history 'Hot Gold. Celebrating the Sydney Jazz Club's First 50 Years, 1953 — 2003'. 
Peter was also an executive member of the NSW Jazz Archive, the NSW Jazz Coordination Association, the NSW Jazz Educators Association, the Jazz Broadcasters Association/Society and the Fellowship of Australian Discographers. 
Meanwhile, he found time to raise a family, work for government scientific reaseach organisations and as a scientific editor, contribute to academic and literary magazines and journals, obtain BA (Hons) and MA (Hons) degrees in linguistics and was a published poet.