As dusk fell on the isolated hall at Nackara, dozens of headlights appeared in the distance. Within hours the tiny outpost, almost 300km north-east of Adelaide swelled to more than 250 as people gathered to celebrate. They had come to catch up with friends, enjoy a free BBQ and hear Northern Mallee based singer songwriter Jeanette Wormald sing. Most had travelled more than 100km to be there. Some had come up from Adelaide, others north, south, east and west. All ages were there from babies to the elderly. And all were determined to have a great night out and seek some respite from nine years of drought in the past decade. The night was made possible through the State Government’s drought response funding and organised through the Peterborough Uniting Church with help from Frontier Services. Chris and Daphne Bretag, of Glenrest Station near Mannanarie, said they were hoping for up to 200 people and were absolutely delighted with the response. A busy team of volunteers had cooked up 394 mince patties and hundreds of sausages and steaks to feed the hungry travellers. A huge bonfire was lit but when Jeanette and musician Andrew Clermont started playing, the hall overflowed with people wanting to listen to Jeanette’s songs inspired by life in regional SA and then join in the bush dances as Jeanette called and Andrew played the tunes. Hours later the night finished with a huge fireworks display that rivalled any New Year show anywhere in Australia. The fireworks were designed by Mid North based Uniting Church minister Jonathon Button, whose hobby is pyrotechnics. Jeanette said she was delighted to be part of such an important community event that helped bring people together and talk through the highs and lows of dealing with drought. “It was great to see such a wonderful response to the night and to my music. The shows at Nackara and Hawker last month are what makes it all so meaningful for me, the fact that I am able to give and share joy with people. It’s not about awards and accolades but rather real people and real stories,” she said.
The magic of the night was captured by outback photographer Andrew Weller of Actual Eyes photography. A photo essay of the Nackara concert can be found at http://www.actualeyes.com.au/Nackara/
