In 1972, the Sunbury Pop Festival smashed on stage, drawing a generation of rockers to one place. Duncan's Lane became the centre of our universe as thousands traveled to the remote farm next to Jackson's creek. A crowd of more than thirty-five thousand people spent the Australia Day long weekend in a paddock.
Image: Sunbury Festival 1972 (courtesy Monash University Archives)
The concerts boomed the gully for three days between 29 January to 31 January 1972. But it wasn't really a Woodstock because the new generation had grown tired of the hippies and were moving on to a new wave of pop. Australian and New Zealand bands included, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Max Merritt and the Meteors, Chain and Wild Cherries.
It was the first successful music event which actually turned a profit, enough for it to run consecutively for four years. Although, it is claimed that the one of the event organisers made more money selling watermelons throughout the weekend than he did from running the concert.
It was a milestone etched in Diggers Rest and Sunbury history. Those who were there claimed that they couldn't remember anything because of drugs, drinks and rock but it was really a time they never forgot.
Were you there?
