NSW Premier Mike Baird believes the Slim Dusty Centre is sure to become an "iconic landmark" for Kempsey and country music.
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His message of goodwill was conveyed by Oxley MP Melinda Pavey at the official opening of the Slim Dusty Centre in Kempsey on Thursday.
The Premier wished the centre a "long and prosperous future" while Ms Pavey acknowledged it had been a "journey since 2001 which had walked all political paths".
►The big deal in Kempsey on Thursday afternoon brought the shire to a halt, and even caught the attention of Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss.
As Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Mr Truss was especially proud to see the official opening of the Slim Dusty Centre, and tipped his hat to Slim’s wife, Joy McKean, who has been the project’s driving force. Read on
This iconic couple travelled around the nation for decades bringing joy to many families through their music. There aren’t many Australian’s who haven’t heard A Pub with No Beer.
- Warren Truss MP
Blasts from the past
- May 10, 2013: Lee Kernaghan unites stars for Slim Dusty
- Aug 2, 2013: Slim Dusty Centre could open in 2013
- Aug 15, 2014: Public access work begins at Slim Dusty Centre
A dream will be realised when the Slim Dusty Centre is opened officially on Thursday.
Slim's wife, Joy McKean, will join the distinguished guests, country music community, locals and tourists to celebrate the life and music of the national treasure as the centre is officially opened.
Ray Hadley will be the MC for the opening ceremony that will run from 1pm for an hour on the grassed area in front of the Slim Dusty Centre, in Slim’s hometown of Kempsey.
Also expected at the ceremony are Slim’s daughter Anne Kirkpatrick and son David Kirkpatrick.
Graeme Connors will perform on of Slim’s most famous recordings We’ve Done Us Proud and the West Kempsey Primary School Choir also will perform.
Key members of the country music community have already shown their support for the day with artists including Golden Guitar greats Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, Graeme Connors and Adam Harvey.
The centre
The Slim Dusty Centre includes a Museum, a travelling exhibition gallery, a visitors centre, a retail shop called The General Store, a Function Centre and the Dusty’s Dinner Camp Café, and will be operating as usual on November 19.
The Centre is for schoolchildren, adults, fans, locals, international visitors, catering to all manner of ages and backgrounds, because in addition to being a tribute to the country music icon, it helps to tell the story of Australia and its history.
The centre very successfully opened its doors to the public on October 17, with an average of more than 200 people per day visiting the multi-purpose facility during the first week. Visitors came from all over Australia, including Mt Isa, WA, Broken Hill, Brisbane, Victoria and New Zealand, and had only positive things to say.
To coincide with the opening of the Slim Dusty Centre, EMI Music will release a new Slim Dusty album, ‘The Den Tapes’. Released on November 13, the new album features 10 recently unearthed recordings and represent the last known unreleased songs by Slim.
The official Opening Ceremony follows the 12th annual Slim Dusty Country Music Festival held at the historic showgrounds, with numbers at the main concert for the 2015 week long event up by an estimated 25 per cent.
Where?
The Slim Dusty Centre is located at 490 Macleay Valley Way, South Kempsey.
The Museum is open daily from 10am-4pm, 7 days a week.
►The 2015 Slim Dusty Day celebrations on Saturday had a special significance. Read on