In 2000 a small number of members of the Wandong Rural Fire Brigade got together and decided to bring the Country Music Festival back to Wandong. It had played such a huge part in the history of our town we felt it deserved to have another go. With financial support from Mitchell Shire Council, Robert Gordon Real Estate, CPC Interiors and a small number of businesses we decided to go ahead in 2001. On March 18ththe day dawned with heavy clouds but a lot of expectations. As the rain fell the patrons started to arrive. They are a hardy bunch these country music fans and they were not deterred. A great line up of talent kept them dancing and clapping all day. Eureka Smith, is the only artist to have played at every festival in the past and we were glad to welcome him back on stage this year. Our wonderful emcee Graeme Hosking is another familiar face from the other festivals. They were joined by our own Dalton Gang, The Breakers, headline act Lee Conway, Nite Train, Git, The Edges, Dead Livers, Rene Diaz, The Cut Out and the Down Under Wonder Show. The crowd were not disappointed. A number of these musicians had played at previous festivals and were happy to come on board to ensure we got off to a great start. Brought back a lot of memories from their younger days.
The committee decided that we had enough support to continue in 2002 and started preparations. The festival was moved to the 1st Sunday in March to have a place on all our calendars. Again we had Graeme Hosking leading the way with Eureka Smith, The Breakers back again, Mike Hamilton and band, Carter and Carter, Crakajack, The Cartwheels, Ian Castles, The Dalton Gang, Jacqui Clune and local boy Jamie Dennis. Whilst it was wet again it didn’t stop the crowd from dancing, singing, clapping and having a good time. Numbers were up on last year and we had a hit on our hands. The brigade was also benefiting from the proceeds from the festival.
For 2003 we decided to add a Ute competition due to popular demand from some of the young ones in our community. More volunteers were needed to run this. Ben McMahon and his helpers took this task on. The first year saw utes arriving from all over the state and even from interstate. Our local MP Ben Hardman was invited to be a guest judge and he had a great time advising us he would be back next year and has every year since. The ute crowd loved the line up of Craig Giles, Jo Jo Leslie, Billy Bridge and Hillybilly Heat, Hardrive, Leslie Avril, The Dalton Gang, The Cartwheels, The Black Hill Ramblers, The Hay Balers, Mick Hamilton Band, and of course Eureka Smith with Graeme Hosking emceeing. Numbers coming through the gate increased again even though once more the day was wet and chilly. We were very priviledged to be featured on channel 9 ‘s postcards show hosted by Coxy. The day came to an end with Coxy sitting in on drums with the Dalton Gang for a flat out bluegrass song .
The ute competition was so successful it was suggested we also have a truck show in 2004 as we have the space available all at the one venue. Whilst again the utes made a good showing truck entries were disappointing although good prizes and trophies were on offer thanks to our sponsors. Ute entries now numbered over the half century mark. This gave a great show for patrons to wander amongst during the day, especially the blokes. Especially some of the entries in the feral ute section. But we do have a chicks ute category, girls and we guarantee a lot of single blokes will be on hand! Not pouring rain this year but still damp and overcast. The stage was hot though with acts such as Callum Gleeson, Steve Doyle, Nattasha Crestani, The Breakers, a favourite, Hog Belly Moreton, The Dalton Gang, Wayne Law, Felicity, Mike Hamilton Band, Eureka Smith of course, and to wind up the day the Scared Weird Little Guys who brought the house down. The ute crowd loved them with their irreverent humour. Graeme Hosking was again at the helm keeping it all moving along.
The truck show was abandoned for 2005 with us concentrating on the popular ute competition. This year saw over 60 entries pull through the gate. Whip cracking and hijinks can be heard throughout the day in that area. The Mayor of Mitchell Shire was invited to be a guest judge along with Ben Hardman and had a ball. There are 10 sections to compete in including our new section Best Dog & Ute. There are some cute pooches but there are some that only an owner could love. What do they say about dogs looking like their owners?? The day dawned overcast but at times the sun did actually shine through and the rain stayed away. Finally! Patrons were entertained by Lee Forster, Donna Fisk and Michael Cristian, Rene Diaz and Avalon, The Dalton Gang, Marni Sheehan, Briana Lee, Eureka Smith with mate Norm Price and the Pheasant Pluckers. Johnny Chester was the headline act and no one went home before he came on stage. What a showman and really nice guy. A new sponsor this year was Alpine Petroleum who joined Mitchell Shire and CPC Interiors to enable us to bring this festival to you.
The day started off sunny in 2006 and we kept our fingers crossed. Not a cloud in sight. Now we had to contend with sunburn! At last the stalls selling hats and ice creams sold out. Thanks guys for sticking with us each year, finally paid off. The utes rolled in again from far and wide, a number from interstate included. Over 70 entries this year competing for some great prizes and trophies again donated by our wonderful sponsors. On stage this year was Camille Te Nahu and Stui French, Lee Forster, Fry Brothers, Dean and Carruthers, Kristy Cox, Ann Marita, Tim Farren, The Dalton Gang, Eureka Smith & Norm Price, Debra Byrnes, and backing by Mick Hamilton and band. Keeping things moving along was Graeme Hosking.
Another huge line up for 2007 on the stage this year, Briana Lee back for an encore, sponsored by Telstra Countrywide again, Jetty Road, local boy Tim Farren, Ruckas, Paul Costa, the Davidson Brothers, Carter And Carter back by popular demand, Billy Bridge another favourite, The Dalton Gang, Eureka Smith and Norm Price, the Mick Hamilton Band again all ably managed by Graeme Hosking. The crowd continues to grow with this festival gaining its own following now. A lot more of the locals are now becoming country music fans and enjoying a great day out. They are catered for by the Wandong Brigade members who dish up a great hamburger. All funds raised help the brigade help our community which they protect as well as assisting at fires throughout the state.
2008 was headlined by the Wolverines, the Sunny Cowgirls, Rodney Vincent, Eureka Smith & Norm Price, The Prairie Oysters, Ruckus, Tim Farren, The Dalton Gang and The Original Snake Skins. This year really turned on the sunshine, a very warm day and still the crowd has grown from last year. The feed back has been well worth the hard work that goes into getting the festival up and running each year.
2009, this year will be remembered for many a year to come, as the worst in our history because of the horrific bushfires that swept through the state on Sat Feb 7th, now known as black Saturday. From Kilmore East the fire rushed towards Wandong and burnt out homes, sheds and properties, and carried on toward Whittlesea, Humevale , Kinglake, Flowedale, Marysville and the many other towns and left a trail of destruction and terrible grief. After serious deliberation, the committee decided the festival should go ahead as planned on Sunday March 1st, it would be a bushfire relief benefit and CFA benefit. The community rallied behind us and so many people came on board to help do whatever could be done to make this a special day. The lineup booked for the day was Sara Storer, Peter Denahy, Jayne Denham, The Blackhill Ramblers, Damian Howard and the Ploughboys, Tim Farren, The Dalton Gang, Carter and Carter, David Delle Vergin. Once the news got out we had James Blundell offer his services for the benefit, Melinda Schneider, Jetty Road, Billy Bridge and Dave Walker and Blue Moon Lodge. With all these extra artists on the line up, the day was extended through to 8.30pm, the Premier of Victoria John Brumby, paid us a visit and made his singing debut with a Slim Dusty classic “Duncan” (words re written for Wandong,) what a great day it was. To everyone who donated items for raffles and auctions,gave their services, and volunteered their time a huge thankyou. We hope we have helped make a difference to those afftected by the fires.
2010 arrived and fell on the Labour day long weekend, the weather prediction was bleak, but we could only pray they had it wrong. Well……. no they had it perfectly correct, on Saturday, set up day, the rain came down by the truck load, the hail and wind followed, we were holding the festival in the back paddock this year which is normally the carpark as the oval was being re turfed after the damage from black Saturday, it was awash!! What was going to happen on Sunday? It started cold drizzly and very wet under foot, the phone was ringing hot “is it still on” yes it was still on, artist coming in from interstate we were pushing ahead. The day cleared and the sun came out, all of a sudden it was steamy hot. The line up was headlined by Beccy Cole, The Sunny cowgirls, Doug Bruce, Llianna Rose, Carmen Fraser, Renee Diaz, Tim Farren, 8Ball Aitken,Cameron Mason, and the Prairie Oysters. All was going well until 5.15 when Tim Farren took the stage, and the rain started, it was fun for the dances sliding in the mud, a few even took their clothes off so as to keep them clean! But then it became torrential and was coming in sideways onto the stage, people were running for cover, the curtains were closed on the stage and that was the end of Tim’s set. It rained for 30 mins solid and unbelievably heavy, we in a way were very lucky to have got to this stage of the day, many houses cars and public buildings were badly rain and hail damaged that weekend, Yorkie from the prairie Oysters had an indoor swimming pool in his lounge room, and his wife’s car badly damaged by the hail. What a day.
2011, the perfect day, sun shining, great lineup, what else can you wish for, day started with Brittany Pavlo, a young local girl with a great voice and a great future in country music, followed by funny man Dave Prior, The Cartwheels, The Distance, Sandra Humphries, Damian Howard and the Ploughboys, Catherine Britt was our headline artist and did not dissapoint, Tim Farren our local artist and the Aaron Daniels band took the day out. Everyone very happy, hoping for the same for 2012.
The Lion’s Club of Wandong-Wallan with support from the Kilmore Lion’s Club instigated one of Wandong’s greatest attractions with the introduction of the Country and Western Music Festival in April 1972. Originally organisers John Knox and Ross Smith had approached Barbara Dowling, the editor of a monthly Country & Western magazine, with the intention of inviting a Country & Western band to entertain at a Lion’s Club barbecue. Barbara who had been blind since childhood had a great interest in Country & Western music and as well as her magazine ran an import record business. From this germ of an idea grew the kernel of what was to become known Australia wide as the “Biggest Country & Western Music show in the Southern Hemisphere”
At the first festival held at the L B Davern Reserve 1800 people including twenty-one carloads of police attended. Festivals in those days were synonymous with Sunbury, which meant kids, sex, drugs, booze and all sorts of dreadfully indictable things. The police found themselves instead at a big musical family day out. They played with the children, chatted to the parents and wondered what the hell they were doing there in such strength and left. In future only the Kilmore divvy van attended, doing a drive through at different times during the day.
The Lion’s held working bees every year to provide facilities for the rapidly growing crowds, which were attending the one-day festival each March, building a toilet block, BBQ facilities and a stage.
The Third Annual Festival in 1974 attracted crowds of approximately 11,000 and the festival was now on the map as a yearly ‘must see’ for country and western music fans. The winner of the prize money was Promised Band.
The Fourth Annual Festival on Sunday March 4th 1975 had become an official Moomba attraction and drew 15,000 people to our small hamlet of Wandong with a population of just 120. Many came from interstate to see bands competing for the $1,000 prize money. With not one international artist on the program, this was amazing for Australia. Slim Dusty; the King of Country Music and holder of 12 gold records was the special guest artist along with the Hawking Brothers, Eureka Smith and the winner of the third festival, Promised Band.
The headlines in Melbourne metropolitan papers screamed “THE PUB WITH NO BEER COMES TO THE TOWN WITH NO PUB” and were amazed at the crowds that attended this festival in such an out of the way place no one had ever heard of. The crowd went wild when Slim Dusty sang this famous gold record hit. They danced, clapped or just sat and listened drinking beer. When Slim arrived in Wandong with his wife and daughter he did not want to stay amongst the hordes at the oval. He approached Laurie Davern regarding renting the old McDonald farmhouse which still stood on his property. It was an old four-room weatherboard cottage with hessian walls and was in a sad state of disrepair as no one had lived in the building for a number of years. Laurie showed him the house with some disbelief that he would even consider renting it. But Slim declared “It’s a bloody palace!” The three of them stayed a week. There were two old steamer chairs left on the back verandah, which Slim had used during his stay. One of these he purchased from Laurie before he left. Laurie was dumbfounded; anyone else would have just pinched the ratty old thing.
The program was thrown into chaos when many of the bands were late arriving due to a mammoth traffic jam on all roads leading to Wandong. Traffic police had their work cut out for them to untangle the snarl of stop-go vehicles. Despite good work by the Kilmore Apex Club who handled parking at the ground, hundreds were unable to get in and had to park in surrounding streets up to more than a mile away and walk. Vic Rail ran special trains on the Sunday for the first time. Organisers thank residents for their patience for the inconveniences they had.
Police kept watch with binoculars from vantage points but the large crowd was very well behaved with only a few incidents. There were long queues at all refreshment stands throughout the day but the good natured crowd accepted the conditions with good humour. Much of the catering was done by local charity organisations.
The Queen of Moomba arrived for the official opening. She was welcomed by Cr. Laurie Davern and Shire President, Tom Dumaresq and his wife, who presented her with a necklace as a memento of her visit. The Queen then made a presentation to Miss Country Music 1975. Lion’s Club President, Jim Chapman thanked everyone for their support and Cr. Dumaresq expressed his appreciation to the club for organising such a big event for the Shire. Mr. Ray Weir, a Director of Moomba, officially opened the festival.
Rain fell throughout the day but it didn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm or spirits. A special song “Wandong” was written especially for the event and was presented during the program by the Double Dee Group. Graham Hocking was again the compare with special guest compare, 3DB Disc jockey, Dave Pincombe, who said “ country music has the biggest single following in the world.”
Winners of the $500 prize money for Best Group were Reflection from Albury. Runners up were Orange Blossom who received $150. Third placegetter was Country Way winning $100, 4th was Reg Poole & the Country Trend with $75, 5th was Country Pride $60 and 6th Western Rovers $40. Best Trucking Song went to Western Rovers with $50 prize money. Best Australian Composition was won by Coda winning $50 and Best New Talent went to Country Gold with $50 also. Profits from this year’s festival were in excess of $10,200 that was used to assist district and other charities and organisations with their work.
The 5th Annual Festival in March 1976 was now officially the biggest single attraction of the Sun Moomba Festival and was known for featuring local artists. Reg Lindsay, The Hawking Brothers, Lee Conway, Eureka Smith were some of the headline artists at this years festival, attracting crowds in excess of 20,000. John Minson, the voice of Tamworth radio station 2TN ‘Country Music Capital of Australia’, urged visitors to head south for the ’biggest country music show in the Southern Hemisphere.’ All very flattering for the tiny township of Wandong.
The 6th Annual Festival held on the 12th-13th March 1977 became a two-day event for the first time with the introduction of a Truck & Country Music Festival. The crowd was in excess of 30,000, many arriving with caravans from as far away as Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. Some had never missed a festival yet and many friendships were renewed over a drink and a meal.
The Sun Moomba Queen, Sharyn Duncan, officially opened the Festival. The organisers presented her with a special appreciation award to say thank you. The crowd went wild dancing, clapping and singing along to Dave Dudley from Nashville, Tennessee, USA; whose first hit song “Six Days on the Road” was a winner with the audience. He said he had never seen anything like it (the festival) and couldn’t wait to come back. Cash Backman and the Saltbush Group, Lee Conway, Johnny Chester and Deneise Morrison were just some of the performers who entertained the crowds over the two days.
“Tamworth might call itself the country music capital – they’re just not in it with Wandong,” said organiser Wally Bishop.
Roadapple Bluegrass Showband were the winners of the Encouragement Award of a Yamaha amplifier, trophy and cash. Hit & Run were second prizewinners of $150. The festival judges this year, were well-known composer Brian Dawe and Barbara Dowling, who had played a major part in all the festivals since the first one. Truck backing contests, tarp tying competitions, wheel changing races and truckie songs were a major feature at this years festival, drawing large crowds of onlookers to cheer for the contestants. The overall winner of the competitions on a time scale, was Athol Chester, who drove between Melbourne and Sydney for Bruce Panucci. He won a $400 deluxe suspension seat and a silver tray went to second place-getter S. Ball and third place-getter M Peterson. Over $2 million dollars worth of the best in big rigs was on display for the crowd. The introduction of the truck exhibits and the competitions were a great success, bringing many truck enthusiasts from around the country to Wandong.
The Eighth Festival now the Truck & Country Music Festival was held on the weekend of March 10-11 1979 and saw the tiny oval at Wandong surrounded by a circle of trees, colourful tent stalls, advertising signs – with every square metre covered by trucks, buses, caravans, cars, trailers and people. They carried eskies, cans and bottles, umbrellas, cushions, barbeques and blankets. Everywhere could be seen high heeled boots, Stetson hats thermos flasks and cut lunches.
There were 43 different acts to entertain the crowd over the weekend and the crowd stayed while the bands played – they stomped, romped and danced.
A two record set was produced for sale in 1979, with artists freely contributing their talents as all proceeds of sales went direst to UNICEF. Some of the artists featured on the records were; Tex Morton, Lee Conway, the Hawking Brothers, 1901, Cash Backman, Kevin Shegog, Ray Kernaghan, Jan Kelly, Roadapple, Eureka Smith, ‘Cowboy’ Bob Puttell, Cobbers and John McSweeney. A copy of the records can be seen mounted above the fireplace in the Magpie & Stump Bistro and at the Wandong-Heathcote Junction Sports & Community Centre.
James ”Jazzer” Smith, editor of ‘Across Country Australia’, a national country music magazine and drummer and vocalist in the country band ‘Homestead’, wrote on the flycover of the record the following tribute to Wandong.
“Wonderful Wandong – with it’s hustle, bustle, sweat and heat, it’s hot dogs, pies and coke cola, toilet queues and honky tonk blues, berets and beanies, smilers and meanies, braless girls and topless blokes and truckies telling dirty jokes. Grinning grannies and crackling trannies, tapping feet, sizzling heat and a country beat.”
It was the ultimate experience for professional and amateur country music entertainers in Australia. An outstanding feature of the festivals was each of the past winning bands had gone onto become stars in their own right. Wandong made Australian music history with a sensational growth over eight years. The festival was outgrowing the town which only had a population of 500 at that time. The following year it was moved to a property at Wallan not far away. But without the ambience and atmosphere of the Wandong site at the L B Davern Reserve it was never the same again and the following year was the last festival to be had that century.
