Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to pay tribute to Frank Ifield. Frank's musical prowess and unwavering spirit burnished Australia's place in the history of country music. Frank Ifield was a great. He lived in the Berowra electorate, and we are proud to call him our own. At eight years old in London during the blitz, Frank shared his love for music even in the city's bunkers. His brother Bob recalls him singing 10Green Bottles to the delights of those sheltering with his family. From there, Frank shared his prowess for playing stringed instruments after the family moved to Dural, encouraged by perceptive teachers to set Australian poems to music. He then honed his talents on radio shows and stages across Australia. Frank loved connecting with audiences through live performance. His first single, Lucky Devil, was released in London, accompanied by television appearances and live tours across the United Kingdom. It paved the way for the smash it, I Remember You, which sat at UK No. 1 for seven weeks in 1962.

My late father was a 2CH man and I remember he was a regular favourite of that station. The song demonstrates another of Frank's many musical talents—his yodelling. His brothers told me how he honed his skills yodelling by yodelling to his parents' disobedient dairy cow, the first of many to be won over by his songs. I Remember You demonstrates Frank's capacity for capturing hearts across the globe.

Love sick Blues and Wayward Wind were the next two singles to take off in the UK, making him the first England based artist to have three successive UK No. 1s. At that time, only Elvis Presley had released three UK chart toppers. Frank went on to perform for the royal family and fulfilled his dream of playing at the London Palladium. In the US, he became the first Australian artist to appear in pop and country charts, leading to a performance at the Grand Ole Opry, even becoming an honorary citizen of Tennessee.

As his brother David told me, Frank's success was no accident. When David describes Frank, he describes his positive and cheerful personality that carried him through the long and hard-won battles of the early days. David, too, speaks of the support that Frank provided to others as a musical trailblazer. Sir Paul McCartney recently thanked Frank for helping get the Beatles off the ground in the early days. In 1962, a year before their first album, Frank gave them a chance as his support act at Peterborough's Embassy cinema. Promoter Arthur Howes first noticed the young act that night, setting up more performances for the band, helping them on their way to stardom.

Returning to Dural following his performing career, Frank never stopped fostering talent. He initiated the Galston Country Music Festival, to platform local artists. He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007. He received the Order of Australia for his services to the arts.

Frank passed away on 18 May, survived by Carole, his brothers David and Bob, who live in the electorate, and his children, Mark and Sarah. I'm grateful to David and Bob for sharing their recollections.

Country music fans, the people of Dural, Beecroft and Galston, remember Frank fondly for carrying Australian country music across nations, with integrity and passion. Frank, after the thrill of it all, we're delighted to say: we remember you.