It could be just coincidence but the very same year a giant of politics in Oz came to Tamworth, the country music capital registered a monster festival that has probably eclipsed all others.
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Former PM Gough Whitlam was nearly 20 years out of office when he was made the Australia Day ambassador for the 1995 celebrations in Tamworth. He came, spoke and conquered – opening the then guitar-shaped tourist info centre at Paradise and standing like Moses over a huge crowd in Bicentennial Park later that evening.
No stranger to controversy himself, Mr Whitlam did the honours for a new visitors’ centre that had been a subject of much debate itself in this city.
The Leader actually reported then that the $2million-plus centre had attracted controversy but the mayor of the time, David John, hoped critics would warm to the centre – just as they had to the Sydney Opera House when it was first built.
Mr John said most centres which became icons had their beginnings in controversy – and he believed it would become synonymous with the country music capital.
Mr John argued that the challenge had been to not take the safe option and build just any other tourist information building.
“You see them dotted up and down the highway,” he said, but the value of an unusual Tamworth centre would justify its cost and become recognisable.
Today, nearly 20 years later that icon prepares to shed that tourist badge as the city’s info centre moves to another icon, the Big Golden Guitar centre in South Tamworth. It will become home to more country music memorabilia and a new life as an extended country hall of fame complex.
The same year Gough Whitlam was one of the stars of the festival throng, Tamworth was celebrating other things. The late Keith Singh was made Citizen of the Year. Tamworth High student Rowena Duns was the young citizen. Karen Bliss was the country music queen and Reg Lindsay was recovering after suffering a brain haemorrhage in Tamworth days earlier.
An 800kilo bull called Chainsaw was the king of the country rodeo ring – only nine cowboys had ever lasted the distance (eight seconds) on Chainsaw’s back and he was back as a 13-year-old to compete again. Chainsaw had won the bucking bull of the year award a record nine times at that point.
