Unlocking nostalgic memories across the nation, Jack Hodgins has set out on a mission to publish a book detailing the golden era of Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds and he’s confident the residents of the Burdekin Shire have plenty of stories to tell.
The contest captured the attention of Australians from 1966 to 1972, and at its peak, held 60 heats across the country where young bands would compete for a chance to win a place in a state country final, and ultimately the national grand finale.
“It gave bands a chance to play, in many cases, to the biggest crowds they would ever play and all they would have to do is send in a coupon to their local radio station,” Jack explained.
Jack’s interest in the competition was initially sparked after interviewing a series of musicians as part of his radio show, Vinyl Vibes, and a few online searches later, Jack felt compelled to immortalise the significant era in musical history.
“I felt that someone really needed to come along and try to seriously document the contest and once I realised the importance the contest held in Australian music history as a whole, the idea to write a book came shortly after that,” recalled Jack.
As Jack continued to dive deeper into researching Queensland’s involvement in the contest, he quickly realised there were very little details recorded at the time and began relying on locals to fill in the gaps.
“Ayr’s heats were facilitated by radio station, 4AY, and I want to leave no stone unturned for this book so it’s important that I try every avenue to reach rockers from the area,” Jack added.
“So far, only one band has been confirmed to have played in the Ayr heat - a band called Peace, who won the Ayr heat in 1971 and because so much wasn’t written down at the time connecting with people in places like Ayr is crucial as their memories may be the only surviving pieces of this musical history, and without them, these stories could be lost forever.”
With a publication date pencilled for June of 2026, Jack has been reaching out to communities across the country to gather whatever information he can about the iconic competition.
“The community’s responses have been one of the biggest reasons I’ve committed to turning my research into a full-blown book and people from all over the country have sent me audio, photographs and their personal memories - I think it’s been really meaningful for many of them as well,” said Jack.
“A lot of these rockers played in bands that may not have gone far beyond their local area, so to have someone reach out and show an interest in their band from the ’60s has been incredibly positive for them.”
If you have any information about the Ayr battles or the contest itself, you can email Jack at jackhodgins67@gmail.com to be part of highlighting the Burdekin Shire’s role in such an iconic era in musical history.
Jack Hodgins is on a mission to document musical history (Photo Supplied)
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