Townsville Country Music Club

Townsville Country Music Club
Townsville Country Music Association
Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association

History

Members of the general public were invited to attend a meeting on the 3rd June 1980 at the Vale Hotel in Aitkenvale. A few local country music enthusiasts, including Emilo Gottani from Rollingstone, got together with the aim of forming a club to enjoy and promote country music.
The first meetings were held on Saturday evenings at the Castle Hill P.Y.C. Other venues have been the Cutheringa Bowls Club, Dalrymple Hotel, Ross Island Hotel, Lazy Acres, and Western Suburbs Cricket Club. Monthly Fun Days are held at St Joseph’s School, Mundingburra.

In the early years the Club held jamboree’s with some of the artists being Slim Dusty and his family, Glen & Betty Eyre, Desiree Crawford, Evelyn Bury, Owen Blundell, The Coad Brothers, the Brian Young Show, Barry Thorton, Reg Poole, and John Williamson, to name a few.

Some of the local artists that have gone on with their music careers are Sherrie Austein (nee Kren) who started singing at Lazy Acres, Whiteline moved south as did The Gottani Sisters after working in the U.S.A. for some years. Also Sarah Collet, and Anna Weatherup. Those that worke professionally around the district are Pete-Cherae Kleehammer and her sister Stephenie Burke, Sara Jane Moore (nee Alloway), and Anthony Taylor.

The Club commenced the First North Queensland Champion of Champions in 1986  following an idea from Dick Nettelfield and Nev Nicholls. The Prize at then time was a recording contract with Nicholls ‘N’ Dimes Recording Studio. This was won by Saddle Tramps a band from Ayr. This Festival continued for 23 years until in 2009 when the Festival was changed to an Open Competition, thus giving more of our local artists a chance to win the major prize. The Club also plays at the Bluewater Community Centre once a month  and makes it’s self available for fund raisers for non profit organisations.

1982 – Townsville Country Music Club’s annual Jamboree. Sunday 10th Oct.
Townsville Daily Bulletin Monday 4 Oct 1982
The Townsville Country Music Club’s annual Jamboree will be held at the Cluden Racecourse on Sunday. Entertainment will get under way at 10am and go through to 6pm. Special guest for the day will be the ‘gentle giant’ of Australian country music, Reg Poole. Reg has many fine albums to his credit and last year won a Gold Guitar award at Tamworth as well as the 1981 Heritage Award. Barry Thornton and his son Brian are also among the line-up of performers. Barry won a Gold Guitar award at Tamworth this year for best instrumental album. After touring with Slim Dusty for 20 years, he is now doing freelance work and touring with a show of his own. All the top names in country music in North Queensland will be there, including the Gottani Sisters, 4 Cast, Glen and Betty, Speargrass, Silver Dollar, Linq, Paper Train, Saddle Tramps, Vic Hall, Ben Hobson and Greg Weiner. There will be pony rides and merry-go-round for the children and compere for the day will be 4TO’s Rory Nash. The Endeavour Foundation will be providing food and drinks at reasonable prices. A licensed bar will operate and no alcohol will be allowed to be brought in.

1991 Townsville Country Music Association
Champion of Champions Finals Festival – 12 & 13 Oct 1991 Lazy Acres, Dalrymple Rd, Townsville.
Competition Saturday & Sunday
Cabaret Saturday Night
featuring: Owen Blundell, Kim & Amanda Gottani, Whiteline

2001 Townsville Daily Bulletin 22 Jan 2001 Stars on Stage Competition
1st Sarah Collett and Corinne Whitman both 13yrs country music duo winner of the over -12 section
2nd
Charles Ottaviano – rap dancer
3rd Robert Boye and Belinda Gateley – rock & roll dance rs.

2004 Kendall Jones & Bonnie Stewart
(Townsville Daily Bulletin 5 Nov 2004)
Kendall & Bonnie are Something Different, the duo that took out the major title at the country music championships held in Townsville two weeks ago. They started singing together since they met seven years ago when the pair were 13 yrs old.
They will perform at the
Bluewater Community Hall 5 Nov 2004 5.30pm

2009 (Townsville Daily Bulletin Oct 2009)
Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Assoc Inc  presents The 2009 Townsville Festival, Saturday and Sunday 17th and 18th Oct 2009, Senior Citizen’s Hall, 16 Ryan Street, Belgium Gardens. Competition starts Saturday and Sunday 9.00am Sunday – Poet’s Breakfast 7.00am

2010 (TDB 19 Oct 2010) Country Music Festival October 2010 Senior Citizen’s Centre, Ryan Street, Belgian Gardens
The Valley Kids winning duet

2011 (Townsville Daily Bulletin 7 May 2011) Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association fun day advert at St Joseph’s School Ross River Rd Mundingburra 2pm – 7pm Sunday  18 Jun 2011. (Also in Townsville Daily Bulletin 9 Jun 2011)

2011 (Townsville Daily Bulletin 11 Jun 2011) Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Fun Festival at 11am today (Sat 11 and Sun 12 Jun 2011) Concert from 7.30pm – 11pm at Bartlett Park Rodeo Grounds, Kelso Drive Kelso.
Poet’s breakfast on Sun 8am.
Artists included Nolene & Anita Smith, Tony Jones, Lynda Knuth, Alan Boatfield, Lana Allen, and Stephanie Burke.

2011 15 – 16 Oct Country Music Talent search at St Joseph’s School Ross River Rd Mundingburra

2012 Sun 13 May, Country Music Fun Day at St Joseph’s School Ross River Rd Mundingburra

2012, Sun 29 July, “Silly Sunday” comedy concert, at Pimlico Performing Arts Centre (PIMPAC), Fulham Road, Pimlico, doors open 1.30pm, concert starts at 2pm.

2012 20 – 21 Oct (Townsville Daily Bulletin 16 Oct 2012) Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association Country Music Talent Search
St Joseph’s School, Ross River Road, Mundingburra.

2013 Sat & Sun 19 & 20 Oct at St Joseph’s School Mundingburra (Townsville Daily Bulletin 18 Oct 2013)

2013 10 Nov Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association Fun Day
(Townsville Daily Bulletin 11 Nov 2013)

2014 Sun 9 Feb Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association fun day at St Joseph’s School, Mundingburra
(Townsville Daily Bulletin Sat 8 Feb 2014)

2014 Sun 8 Mar Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association Fun Day

2014 Sun 11 May Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association Fun Day
(Townsville Daily Bulletin 9 May 2014)

2014 Sun 13 July Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association Fun Day
(Townsville Daily Bulletin 12 July 2014)

2014 Sun 31 Aug Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association Fun Day
(Townsville Daily Bulletin 29 Aug 2014)

2014 Fri 10 Oct Country Music Night at Bluewater Community Hall Forestry Rd 7pm
(Townsville Daily Bulletin 8 Oct 2014

2014 Sat & Sun 18 & 19 Oct Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association Annual Talent Search
(Townsville Daily Bulletin 17 Oct 2014 & Townsville Daily Bulletin 20 Oct 2014)
Levena Stewart won the overall category in the Adult section
Tyson Lucas won the junior section
Phoebe Foster-Griffith wan the juvenile section
Justene Ross of Mareeba, the youngest competitor aged 4, won the peewee section.

Townsville & Thuringowa Country Music Association images

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