Keeping the story of Banjo and Henry alive

"I was lucky," he said.

"You could still find people who were born in the 19th century and hadn't been corrupted by television."

He even recorded the stories of famous cook Margaret Fulton, but when he looks back he sees ordinary people with extraordinary stories; historical influences on Australians like the Great Depression, WWI and WWII.

"You see how people grew up, the games people played and maybe the games that have disappeared," he said.

All of these tapes went to the National Library of Australia and it was during these travels in the central west that he visited Wellington.

Now he is set to return this week alongside actor Max Cullen to give some of these yarns back to the town in Dead Men Talking, a stage show about Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson.

Mr Fahey has written 30 books on a number of different topics and has had a long career as a performer.

His passion for Australian folklore began very early in life.

"I grew up with Lawson and Paterson. I was a very keen bushwalker, I carried While the Billy Boils in my pack and also Banjo Paterson's 1905 edition of Old Bush Songs," he said.

The years of avid research into Australian culture was channelled into performances around the country and internationally.

"I don't see myself as a performer or singer, but as a storyteller," Mr Fahey said.

The story of Lawson and Paterson in Dead Men Talking all began with a phone call from Max Cullen.

"I want you to play Banjo Paterson against my Henry Lawson," he said.

Apparently Fahey wanted to play Lawson too, but Max Cullen already had the prosthetic nose.

"Faces in the Street Max does with Henry Lawson is one of the greatest pieces of work. It is bleak and dark. That was Henry."

While Mr Fahey was a bit hesitant about delving into acting, he is starting to feel comfortable in the skin of Banjo Paterson.

"When I got dressed up, I would never say I was an actor," he said.

"A while back I said 'this is a bit of a con Max, the newspapers are calling me an eminent actor'. He said 'you're a natural, and the feeling of nervousness fell away."

"It was a natural progression becoming Banjo Paterson. They were two different characters. Hentry Lawson was a no-hoper. He would probably be diagnosed with bipolar or a depressant today. He was dark and brilliant. Banjo Paterson was accused of being a silvertail, though we know his family went broke at Yeoval and then Orange, he'd seen both sides of the fence."

"Paterson did something remarkable when he wrote Waltzing Matilda. He realised Australia was changing forever. He saw the regional population in ten years was shifting to the city where all the city factories were.

"He went to the newspapers and he wanted the old songs about droving, gold and shearing."

"They [Paterson and Lawson] both gathered these early myths and stories and gave them back to Australia where they were thirsty for the bush -especially those who moved to the city factories instead of being behind the plough and I believe they are still relevant to the 21st century."

"Were they friends/ Did they get along? Was there rivalry? At the end of the day they were both really important to the Australian story."

Mr Fahey said while he wasn't daunted by the project, there was an inherent responsibility when putting the words into the mouths of two great literary figures.

"But at the same time you have got to have a bit of creative licence to bring these characters to life, there has to be a bit of magic."

Of course, there will be classics like Clancy of the Overflow (which Cullen's Lawson likes to call Clancy of the Overdone), but there are plenty of surprises too with lesser known works, songs and new content which the pair like to surprise each other with onstage.

"We don't take it too seriously."

"The reality is we are both veterans. I'm 70, he's 75, we're not spring lambs."

The performance is on Thursday night at the Soldiers Memorial Club.