By Oliver Lees
Fifty years on from the arrival of global rock stars such as Deep Purple and Queen, the Sunbury Pop Festival is being commemorated for its revolutionary impact on the Australian music scene.
Held annually from 1972 to 1975, the festival attracted tens of thousands of music fans to a nondescript farmland location in Diggers Rest to catch a glimpse of their musical heroes.
The festival put Australian musical talent in the spotlight, and acted as a springboard for a generation.
Sunbury music icon Michael Gudinski produced his first release for Mushroom Records the year after the festival kicked off.
He was also in attendance at the inaugural event in 1972, but instead of organising the musical talent, year his entrepreneurial energy was focused on selling watermelon to overheated festival goers.
Hume council curators Carmen Reid and Feyza Yazar, with the devoted assistance of festival attendee Deborah Sweeney, have been hard at work collecting an array of memorabilia to bring back the magic of those historic events.
The Barefoot in the Grass exhibit is now open and free for anyone to visit at the Hume Global Learning Centre in Sunbury until Sunday, March 27.
Having spent months pouring through photographs, signage and other assorted items from the festival, Ms Reid said she understands why the event holds such a special place in Australian music history.
“This work has helped me appreciate that if [the Sunbury Pop Festival] wasn’t the first outdoor Australian festival, it was definitely the biggest, and first one organised by industry the best industry pros at the time,” she said.
“It was an evolution of youth culture, moving from a more formal indoor setting, to something outdoor and more casual.”
Hume council mayor Carly Moore said the festival was an important element of Sunbury’s culture.
“For those who weren’t lucky enough to attend the events, this exhibition will make
you feel like you were there by capturing the festivals’ celebratory and festive atmosphere,” Cr Moore said.
Hume council will later hold a panel discussion with author Peter Evans, to discuss his book ‘Sunbury, Australia’s Greatest Rock Festival’.
Details: www.hume.vic.gov.au/
