Guest speaker Mark Byfield talking to visitors @ Hurstville City Museum & Gallery

In October, record collector and Bee Gees historian Mark Byfield gave an engaging talk on the Bee Gees, in conjunction with our Let Me Enteratain You exhibition. After presenting an overview of the history and significance of the band, Mark discussed the band's time in Australia and some of the songs they wrote during the period. He also talked about the rare and valuable recordings released on the Downunder record label, all of which were recorded at the St Clair Recording Studio in Queens Rd, Hurstville. Mark's passion and knowledge of these subjects made it a wonderful afternoon, with many visitors asking when we would be holding similar events in the future! Some other visitor comments included:

"Excellent"; "Very interesting and informative talk", and "Looking forward to more in the future".

Thanks to Mark for allowing us to add this fascinating event to our 2011 calendar! If you would like to see similar events run at Hurstville City Museum & Gallery in 2012, post your comments here, or send us an email.

You can also check out the following Bee Gees titles at Hurstville City Library:

The Bee Gees: tales of the brothers Gibb
Bee Gees: the number ones [sound recording]

Rockdale Musical Society’s production of Avenue Q

Rockdale Musical Society's Avenue Q program
Image courtesy Emma Williams

Having spent a good deal of time researching the history of Rockdale Musical Society for our current exhibition, Let Me Entertain You, staff from the Museum & Gallery decided to check out one of their productions.

Avenue Q is a musical with a difference! An all singing, all dancing spectacular, it tells the story of a group of outer suburban New Yorkers as they struggle to find their place in the world. The story is told by both human performers and puppets, and is definitely not for children!

Rockdale Musical Society's production of the show was excellent, and despite being put under pressue by a last minute change in venue, both cast and crew did a great job. A good time was had by all who attended and we can highly recommend this performance group.

Have you seen Avenue Q? Or any other Rockdale Musical Society productions? What did you think? Post your thoughts here.

Learn more about Rockdale Musical Society and other famous performances groups and spaces in the St George Region at Let Me Entertain You, an exhibition at Hurstville City Museum & Gallery. On display at 14 MacMahon St Hurstville until Sunday 23rd October. Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm, Sunday 2pm-5pm, all welcome!

Machine Atlas – the techno expo

Machine Atlas - the techno expo, 28 August 2011.
Anything is possible ... if you have the right machine!
Image courtesy Emma Williams.

Staff from the Library Museum & Gallery attended a fantastic event put on by Shopfront Contemporary Arts & Performance on Saturday evening. Machine Atlas - the techno expo transformed Kogarah Town Square into 'a night market like no other', including performance, film, music, and installation pieces. It was a spectacular (and at times, confronting) feast for the senses. Keep your eye out for future Shopfront events.

Did you attend Machine Atlas? Post your thoughts here.

In memory of Graeme Shirley Strachan

Graeme Shirley Strachan wearing the 1976 teatowel shirt
on display at Hurstville City Museum & Gallery
Image courtesy of Skyhook Management

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the untimely death of Graeme "Shirley" Strachan, who was killed in a helicopter crash on the Sunshine Coast in 2001. As well as being the lead singer of the immensely popular Australian rock band the Skyhooks, Shirley was also a well known solo musician and television and radio presenter.

Shirley is well remembered for his amazing vocals, killer costume choices and Shirley Temple like curls. His performances in Horror Movie and Million Dollar Riff are perhaps some of his most memorable.

Hurstville City Museum & Gallery are honored to have this important piece of memorabilia on display during this significant and solemn milestone as part of our Let Me Entertain You exhibition.

Share your memories of Graeme Shirley Stachan with us.

AC/DC quiet and boring or loud and wild?

AC/DC performing at Marana Auditorium, c.1970s.
Image courtesy of Rob Walker

"...the crowd failed to raise the roof and the evening missed out on the climax promised earlier." Rolling Stone, 214, June 1976.

This is how one of AC/DC's many gigs at the Hurstville Council's Civic Rock dances was described by Rolling Stone Magazine in 1976.

Did you attend gigs at Marana Auditorium? Were they really so quiet and boring? Or were they loud and wild as Australian rock and roll performances tend to be? We'd love to hear your memories.

To find out more about other great bands who performed at the Civic Rock concerts visit Hurstville City Museum & Gallery's Let Me Entertain You exhibition, on display until 22 October at 14 MacMahon St, Hurstville.