The award-winning documentary Gravel Road, depicting the debut tour of rock band The Desert Stars, will be screening at the Theatre Royal this Sunday followed by a live performance by the band.
The Indigenous four-piece, whose music fuses traditional Aboriginal culture with western rock ’n roll, navigate the drama and excitement of their journey through outback Western Australia, taking the viewer with them across some of the loneliest roads on the driest continent on the planet.
Gravel Road is essentially a character study of Desert Stars’ front-man Jay Minning, whose engaging presence guides viewers into the drifting culture of Spinifex Country situated in Western Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and nurtures a number of Indigenous communities, including the band’s community, ‘Tjuntjuntjara’, and call its vast and remote surrounds, home.
Minning said he had wanted to play guitar since he was a little boy and even though he didn’t know how to play guitar, the music was in him.
“I don’t know where it come’s from, but it somehow generates in me and makes me want to….dance.
“For me it’s a big thing. Going out there and performing music out loud, it proves how strong we are.”
Directed by Tristan Pemberton, who shares credit for the film with the Tjuntjuntjara Community, Gravel Road won Best Documentary Feature at Poppy Jasper Film Festival in California and Best Road/ Tour Movie at Sound on Screen Music Film Festival in South Africa.
The film made its Australian premiere in Margaret River, WA at Cinefest Oz on late last year, followed by a surprise live performance by The Desert Stars. The band received so many calls for encores it ran out of songs.
“What an utter privilege it’s been to collaborate with singer-songwriter Jay Minning and the community of Tjuntjuntjara in the making of Gravel Road,” Pemberton said.
“Every journey changes you, and this one left an indelible mark on all participants in the true spirit of ngapartji-ngapartji (reciprocity).
It was all made possible because of Jay’s incredible passion to share his remarkable life, culture and Spinifex history through music,” he said.
Catch Gravel Road followed by a live performance from The Desert Stars – Sunday November 12 from 3pm at the Theatre Royal Castlemaine. Visit www.theatreroyalcastlemaine.com.au/events/special-event-gravel-road to purchase tickets.
A chance meeting on a train has led to a concert to raise money for a legend of hospitality and man of music and art who has been doing it tough.
Daniel Keohan is a long-time hospitality stalwart and has worked at some of the more highly regarded establishments of the day, including the world-renowned Berowra Waters Inn in Sydney, Lake House in Daylesford, L’escargot in London and many more.
Daniel, who now busks for a living, met Shedshaker Brewing’s Nick Minto on the train, and the two got to talking about the challenges Daniel was facing, and an idea was born.
That idea? A fundraising concert of local musicians and an art sale featuring Daniel’s works. Daniel’s house needs substantial repair and busking isn’t going to cover the costs of materials and tradies, so a night of song, storytelling and more is happening this Saturday November 11 at the Taproom.
“The bathroom is not good – the tiles are falling off, the plaster is cactus, the floor is about to fall through, the shower works but it is only making things worse, the ceiling has to go,” Daniel said.
For Nick, meeting Daniel has given him a cause to focus on at a time where he has been struggling as well.
“We all have times in our life where we just need a hand to get back up and being able to offer that hand to Daniel, a new friend, is also helping me through a tough patch with my own health,” Nick said.
Music is close to Daniel’s heart – he has recorded a live album and turned to busking for a living since finishing his last hospitality job, at the Commercial Hotel in Castlemaine.
This job is one Daniel remembers fondly.
“My hospitality days ended at a tired pub called the Comma in Castlemaine,” Daniel said.
“What would seem like a spectacular fall from grace was saved by it being in a fascinating place – stories abounded and people were named after Australian fauna.
“There was a bear in there, a dingo, a wombat, a Bruce, a couple of possums, a Bob or two and a Noel who drank port.“
A colourful character, a man of wine and song, dad, a new mate – Daniel is a lot of things to a lot of people. This night will help him get back on his feet and his house back in shape. Tickets are $20 and all proceeds of this and art sales go to house repairs.
Tickets are available at https://events.humanitix.com/concert-for-daniel
A GoFundMe page has also been set up where donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/938dn-daniel-needs-our-help
BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens has become the first holiday park in Australia to partner with The Otis Foundation to donate holiday stays to people facing the challenges of breast cancer.
The partnership began in late 2022 when BIG4 Castlemaine gifted seven three-night holiday stays to The Otis Foundation for 2023. This has increased to 12 three-night stays for 2024 across the park’s accommodation range, which includes self-contained studios, luxury villas and glamping tents.
BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens owner Claire Height said the holiday park was an obvious ‘fit’ with the work of The Otis Foundation. “Holiday parks are all about friends and families taking time out together and creating special holiday experiences and memories,” she said.
“To be able to gift opportunities for some people to do this at a time they might need it most is very meaningful for me and for the BIG4 Castlemaine team.”
The Otis Foundation CEO Claire Culley said the foundation was grateful for the support.
“This partnership helps Otis offer additional stays to individuals dealing with breast cancer so they can relax, reconnect, and create invaluable memories with their loved ones,” she said.
“Time and space away from often gruelling medical schedules and the emotional challenges of dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis can be priceless.”
The not-for-profit Otis Foundation was founded in Bendigo in 2000 and over the years, have provided thousands of stays to individuals and their loved ones across Australia.
BIG4 Castlemaine’s work with The Otis Foundation is another first for the award-winning park. It introduced the popular glamping experience to Castlemaine in late 2018 with the addition of three Bell Glamping Tents to its accommodation range, followed by two luxury family-size Safari Tents and a converted shipping container, the ‘Glamtainer’, in 2020.
In late 2022 the park added a self-contained villa with a specially-designed fully accessible master-bedroom suite, another holiday accommodation first for the town.
BIG4 Castlemaine was named Best Tourist/Mixed Use Caravan Park of the Year at the 2022 VicParks Caravan Park Awards.
This followed on from its gold at the 2021 Victorian Tourism Awards in the Caravan and Holiday Parks Category and the park is again a finalist in the 2023 awards.
“The feedback I have received from our Otis guests is inspiring,” Ms Height said.
“I’m delighted they are among the beneficiaries of the effort I have invested in developing and beautifying the park in the 15 years since I acquired the lease,” she said.
