ELVIS

An Elvis family from Melbourne.

The town of Parkes is located in the central west of NSW. It has a population of approximately 15,000 people. It is well known as the home of the Dish, that is, the telescope which tracked the Apollo landing on the moon. It is not so well known for holding the World Marble Championships. However each year in early January the population of the town swells dramatically, this year to almost double, for the annual Elvis Festival.

Some fans just couldn't help themselves.

The Elvis Festival was conceived by a small group of Elvis fan who thought that it might be a good way to celebrate Elvis' birthday each year. It began humbly as a one night event for about a hundred people. By the year 2000 it had grown to a day-long festival. Gradually more events were added and in 2005 over three and a half thousand people attended.

No effort was spared.

This year the festival was held over five days from the 5 to 9 January. It involved over 140 events and attracted a record crowd, doubling the town's population. Fans came from every state in Australia and as far away as New Zealand, Italy and the USA. Besides a street parade, other events included an Elvis Gospel service, the 'Back to the Altar with Elvis-Renewal of Wedding vows', dinner with Miss Priscilla and an Elvis Poet's breakfast.

Some Elvises were very young.

At this year's festival there was an attempt to regain the Guinness Book of Records' title for the most Elvis impersonators gathered together. In 2007 147 impersonators gathered in Parkes to break the previous record of 78. Recently a new record was set at 645 in Las Vegas. Unfortunately the Parkes attempt fell just short with 610 impersonators, but this gives organisers something to promote for next years festival.

Some Elvises were very good. This was the winner of the Elvis impersonators competition.

The town of Parkes has its own Elvis fanatics. One local has changed their name to Elvis by deed poll. There is a Gracelands restaurant, an Elvis memorial and an Elvis museum. For the festival there is also a special Elvis Train which brings fans from Sydney to the event.

Nearly fifty couples took the chance to renew their wedding vows. This couple had been married for 50 years.

Many fans enjoyed the chance to dress in costumes from days gone by.

There was lots of dancing.

....and lots of cars.

.....but just one Indian. (When I asked him why, he said "well everyone else was dressed as Elvis!" )

WOOLGOOLGA

Local school children take an excursion to the beach.

Woolgoolga has been called "the missing piece of paradise". Located on the north coast of New South Wales, 25kms from Coff Harbour, Woolgoolga is a popular holiday village with magnificent beaches, whale watching from the headlands, kayaking, bush walking, playing golf, horse riding, bowling, mountain biking and all the while turtles still come ashore to lay their eggs. There are numerous coffee shops, restaurants and fresh seafood outlets. The local council takes pride in providing facilities for the traveller or the holiday maker with free covered barbeques, playgrounds and the best maintained (and sweetest smelling) toilets. The local population is full of characters and are very friendly and welcoming. Woolgoolga is the centre of the bannana growing industry in New South Wales.

Prior to European settlement Woolgoolga was home to the Gumbaingirr people. The name of the town comes from the Aboriginal word "Weelgoolga" used to describe the area and the lilly-pilly trees which grew there. According to the 2006 census 159 of the inhabitants still identify themselves as indigenous.

The first European settlers were timber cutters. Although it was never one of the major centres, a mill was built there in 1883 and a long jetty for loading timber was constructed in 1892. The town was also linked to the Jesse Simpson forrest by a light railway. The jetty and the railway have both disappeared. The town was officially gazetted in 1888 as Woogoolga, but changed to Woolgoolga in 1966. There were some early attempts to grow sugar cane but these proved unsuccessful. There were also early attempts to grow banana but it wasn't until the 1930s that this industry in Woolgoolga took off.

The remains of the Buster sticking through the sand. Sometimes storms and shifting sands will reveal more of the wreck.

In 1893 the 319 ton, 39m long timber ship, the Buster arrived at Woolgoolga to take on a load of timber for shipping to New Zealand. The Buster was at anchor near the Woolgoolga jetty when a storm struck and snapped both her anchor cables. The ship was set adrift and battered by "a wall of water" for nine hours before being pushed up onto the beach stern first. The ship was never removed from the beach and its skeletal remains can still be seen jutting from the sand.

Guru Nanak Gurdwara.

In 1900 a number of Indian migrants were attracted to the area to work on the banana farms. Although most were single males who came to Australia to make money and then return home to their families many found they liked the Australian climate and countryside and they became permanent settlers. Other Indian Sikhs hearing of the community growing in Woolgoolga were attracted to the area. Today the Sikhs represent over a quarter of the population. The 2006 census lists the population of Woolgoolga at 4,356people. 421 (9.7%) speak Punjabi at home, 423 practice Sikhism and 221(5.1%) were born in India. There are two Gurdwas(temples) in Woolgoolga, the Sikh Temple Woolgoolga and the Guru Nanak Gurdwara (the Temple on the Hill). Today nearly 90% of the banana plantations in the area are owned by Sikh families. One of the biggest event in the area is the annual Curry Festival held in April. The event attracts over 10,000 people to the area.

Woolgoolga beach.