THE Swan Hill sound shell is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a reunion concert to rock Riverside Park.
Featuring a line-up of bands that have graced its stage over the years, Rock in the Park will be held on Saturday, May 3, from noon to 9pm.
Originally a project of the Swan Hill Musicians Club, the sound shell became a reality thanks to fundraising and support from local organisations and volunteers.
Officially opened on April 30, 1995, by then Member for Swan Hill, Barry Steggall, the venue has since played an essential role in fostering live music and community spirit.
The venue has also played host to annual community events, such as Carols by Candlelight, Australia Day breakfast, Harmony Day, Show and Shine and Brew and Chew Festival.
More recently it has hosted RocKwiz and the Queen’s Baton Relay in 2018.
The celebration kicks off on Friday, May 2, at Swan Hill Club, featuring Gibbo, Serious Fun, and an open muso jam.
Rock in the Park features a mix of beloved local acts and fan favourites, including Fred Turner and Friends, Flying Mice, Silent Partners, Still Water, Roxon, Gibbo, Kranked and David Jones Band.
The event will also feature yabby races, children’s corner, food and coffee vans, and a licensed bar.
All proceeds from the event go to Spark, formed in 2023 to raise funds for suicide prevention and awareness.
Spark has raised more than $9000, which has been donated to Swan Hill District Health to provide free mental health courses to the community.
Tickets are $20 for general admission, $5 children under-16 and $50 for family (two adults and children). There is also a small online booking fee.
Organisers said the event will proceed rain, hail or shine. No refunds issued and no pets allowed.
Purchase tickets and more information online at www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rock-in-the-park-swan-hill-2025-tickets-1280424627529.
Sound shell a cultural hub
THE idea of a sound shell was considered for 25 years and originally a dream of the Swan City and District Band.
The president of the Swan Hill Musicians Club at the time, Guy Romeo, said the rotunda, which still exists in Riverside Park, had outlived its useful life.
“It was impractical, too small, offered no wind protection or acoustic enhancement and was not conducive to a variety of performing arts activities,” he said.
“We used to set up on the concrete slab in front of the rotunda.
“Usually Rock in the Park was held in February, middle of summer and 40 degrees, so the drum skins would melt and the guitars warped … just terrible.
“So that’s why we picked that location, too, because it gives us the shade come afternoon from the west.”
Mr Romeo said other groups had expressed their desire to stage outdoor events in the park but found the facilities such as access to a decent stage and power badly lacking.
“The provision of a sound shell was seen by arts organisations as a logical extension of the normal indoor facilities already available within Swan Hill,” he said.
“The climate within this region was considered ideal and would allow full use of such a facility by a wide range of organisations.
“There was no other facility such as this within the region and Swan Hill’s promotion and development corporation could see the benefits in establishing a
premier outdoor entertainment venue in order to attract tourism to the region.”
A number of designs were examined by the club, including the Horsham, Wagga Wagga amd Spacetech Design sound shells.
It was decided the Swan Hill version should be closely modelled on the Horsham design because it was considered more in keeping with the aesthetics of the surrounding park land, the stage size would accommodate a wide variety of performing arts, and acoustic qualities were considered excellent and had been assessed by acoustic engineers.
The sound shell cost $90,000 to build, but that cost wasn’t considered indicative of the real costs because the committee was able to reduce construction costs through voluntary labour, in-kind support, discounts and donations.
The true cost was estimated at about $250,000, which also represented its insurance replacement cost.
The Swan Hill Musicians Club was the major financial contributor to the project, kicking in $30,000.
Other contributions were received from Arts Victoria ($20,000 grant), Swan Hill Rural City Council ($10,000 grant, $10,000 loan), Lions Club of Swan Hill ($10,000 donation) and Great House & Land Giveaway ($10,000 donation).
Mr Romeo said money was raised through sausage sizzles and raffles.”We did a lot of the work ourselves … these days you wouldn’t be allowed to be hanging off the roof helping the plumber put the roof sheets on without a harness,” he said..
