Top entertainers provided enjoyable country music for all age groups at Yarrawonga’s first Country Music Festival. Pictured is a section of the crowd – the event was a happy family day entertainment.
Yarrawonga-Mulwala Rotary Club Sunday 29th March 1981 provided the very best in country music to an appreciative audience of about 5,000.
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Rotary certainly didn’t skimp in their program. They went all out to provide the very best entertainers in country music.
They had such greats as Jonny Chester, Australian’s top singer for 1980, the dynamic Donna Fisk, popular Simon Gallaher from the Mike Walsh show and the top bands of the Hawks, Azlan and Hotspur.
Pattersons Steam Driven Bush Band from Albury and the Bruce Way showband from Wangaratta took up the early part of the program.
The crowd, comprising mostly families, were treated to 7 hours of non-stop country music and they loved every minute of it. The family groups took up their positions on the well grassed area of the Grove Oval and there they stayed for the whole day, relaxed and contented with a delightful program.
The Rotary Club was inundated with congratulations on its first music festival and requests to stage another next year. Even though the festival cost Rotary some $12,000 to put on the club made a profit on the day. (Rotary decided not to stage another Music Festival).
The Grove oval with its excellent facilities was a perfect location for the festival. Country music lovers came from many parts of Victoria and NSW – from as far away as Melbourne, Geelong, Shepparton, Albury, Deniliquin and Narrandera. The action came from a huge stage constructed on the river end of the oval. The music of the entertainers was carried to all parts of the Grove by magnificent sound equipment.
The promoter of the show, Mr Bernie Stahl of Geelong who worked in conjunction with Rotary was highly complementary of the club’s first festival. He said that the riverside venue and facilities of the Grove were superb, and Rotary had done everything right to ensure a great day.
Mr Stahl said that Rotary is to be congratulated on giving the Yarrawonga district it’s first country music festival. He felt another festival next year would attract a much larger crowd. “The very high standard set by the festival this year would ensure this”, he said.
Throughout the day Rotary was assisted by Apex with car parking and Jaycees who provided barbecue facilities.
The dynamic Donna Fisk. Her accompaniment was provided by the talented Hotspur group.
Generous
The top artists were very generous in their performance.
Simon Gallaher appeared at 2.30pm and with his superb personality and talent injected professionalism into the program in a colourful 60 minutes appearance.
Shortly after the talented Donna Fisk made a bold appearance and won the hearts of Country music lovers – young and old – in a lively 40 minutes performance.
The star of the show Johnny Chester was given a tremendous reception. The evergreen entertainer thrilled the crowd with 1 ½ hours of delightful country music. Chester’s brilliant performance capped off a great day for the country music lovers.
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