Dinkum Oil

Dinkum Oil 
Both Barb and Steve Roberts are musicians originally from country Western Australia. Last year (2025) saw them return to mainland Australia after 6 years of working offshore on Christmas Island at the local school, and in the community as music educators. They are now based in the Albany region and have teamed up with local musician Margaret Crossen. Both Margaret and Steve teach instrumental music at various schools in the area and Barb incorporates her music at times, in working with Special Needs students.

 

Although their current lineup is only a year old, all three are seasoned performers. With over twenty years’ experience each in the Music Industry, they can draw on their wide background to offer versatile performances.


 

Besides jazz and classical, Margaret also has a background in folk music, for years playing double bass with the popular Albany group Crossbow. Steve’s folk background started with Fiddler’s Green, some decades ago, touring the state with school shows and bush dances. He later was a resident actor/musician at Pioneer Village for several years. Barb’s musical heritage has also included folk, jazz and educational shows, with performances in the Eastern States and the UK. One of her highlights is participating in the 2004 Loch Lomond Folk Festival. 
Their acoustic line-up for all things folk is accordion, bodhran, ukulele, guitar, mandolin and double bass which they use to sing, yarn and laugh their way through ballads, sea shanties and old Irish and Aussie favourites. 

 

At the other end of the spectrum, because he plays flute and classical guitar, which blends nicely with Barbara’s mellow mandolin, over the years Steve and Barb have provided various low key ‘mood music’ for restaurants, art shows, weddings, functions and soirees etc. Along with Margaret’s double bass and cello they look forward to incorporating popular light classical pieces into their repertoire.


 

Dinkum Oil are currently working on material for an album of original songs about country life in Western Australia, to be released in 2026.  However, some of their old favourites like The Batavia https://open.spotify.com/album/0KxjLUBiGYIZ32JkD6O05O 

FIFO Man https://open.spotify.com/album/7quLAsAlIQFZaAFusooexN 

and Little Rock (in the Ocean) 

https://open.spotify.com/album/3XiXjuKeH7mDZ8qIZV7kwh 

… are readily available to stream on Spotify & iTunes (add them to your playlist).


 

And some more live footage... this time acoustic... from a Health Food Restaurant in Pinjarra (WA), called: Jarra Infusion... (thank you Niki)...
recorded early 2017... featuring Barbara on ukelele (not so great audio quality this one... as we were competing with an over-zealous air-conditioner at the time)...