Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Education) Share this | Hansard source

I join in this condolence motion on Joy McKean and point out that in 1977 the little town of Sale, my home town, hosted a royal visit—but the royalty was Slim Dusty and Joy McKean, with the Travelling Country Band. It was the first concert I ever went to. It was at the Sale Memorial Hall—Slim Dusty and the Travelling Country Band and Joy McKean in support. And I take up the comments from the member for New England, particularly in relation to Joy's status as Slim Dusty's wife. Without any doubt it is a bit unfair that she would be remembered as such, because we've always had strong women in the bush, and Joy was one of them. It is important to remember the pioneering spirit that took Slim Dusty and Joy McKean around Australia time after time after time. They appeared in small country towns and country shows, often entertaining Indigenous communities. They were, without doubt, pioneers—a travelling country band being prepared to go out there and meet their fans, create new fans and be inspired by new stories, which they would then turn into authentically Australian songs.

I'd encourage anyone who hasn't had the opportunity to listen to any of Slim Dusty's 106 albums to take the time to tune in and hear this extraordinary voice of Australia supported by Joy McKean and her incredible songwriting skills. I'd also encourage people to take the time to go online and watch a documentary about Joy McKean made several years ago by my good friend from Gippsland Tim Lee, the ABC journalist. It really does tell the story of what trailblazers this family were in putting the caravan on the back of the car, travelling on rough roads that were even poorer than they are today and meeting their fans in some of the most remote locations in Australia.

Both the member for Parkes and the member for New England highlighted something that I think is incredibly important about the Slim Dusty-Joy McKean story, and that was their authenticity. They were authentic Australian voices. They didn't pretend to be anything other than Australian songwriters, storytellers and bush balladeers of the highest quality. Some of the songs that the members for Parkes and New England mentioned were also favourites in my household growing up: songs like 'Walk a Country Mile', 'Lights on the Hill', 'Indian Pacific' and 'The Biggest Disappointment'—all of which were written by Joy McKean. They were an incredible songwriting duo, and they were live performers of the highest order.

There is a small Gippsland link which I want to raise today as well. When they took breaks from the road, the family often stayed just down the road from my house in Lakes Entrance, in a little town called Metung. The family had a property there, and their breaks from touring were often spent around the Gippsland Lakes. Slim was known as a keen fisherman. He had good mates down there for many years. For many years, the family spent time around the Gippsland Lakes, so much so that one of their songs, 'The Johnsonville Dance', is named after a little country dance about seven or eight miles down the road from Metung. That song is still proudly sung and played today throughout Gippsland.

It is a great pleasure for members of the House to have the opportunity to say a few words in recognition of Joy McKean and her incredible life. The legacy of their music will obviously live on for decades to come. There is no question that every campfire, every truckie and every country dance will end up with a few Slim Dusty songs at different times. We look forward to hearing those songs again and remembering some incredible pioneers—country music royalty in this country—and we extend our condolences to their family and friends and, of course, the many millions of country music fans across Australia.

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