Melbourne HoF Inducting 10

The city of Melbourne, Australia,  is inducting 10 of its best known music names – including a venue and a festival – into its Music Hall of Fame this year. 

Organisers The Age newspaper and peak music association Music Victoria unveiled the 10 June 15.

They included international success stories AC/DC, Olivia Newton-John and The Seekers, top-selling singer John Farnham, indigenous singer-songwriter Archie Roach and one of the original 1950s rock ’n’ roll outfit The Thunderbirds.

The other four included one of the first rock disc jockeys, Stan Rofe, Armstrong Studios founder Bill Armstrong, the Palais Theatre, and the 1970s Sunbury Festival, which was a template for later festivals as Big Day Out. To mark the 10th year of inductions, Farnham will headline a concert at the Palais Nov. 20 with Melbourne names from the 1960s to the present.

Angus Young from AC/DC said, “Victoria has a special place in our hearts, especially the early years of the band.” Neil Croker, CEO of Palais Theatre Management, pointed out that his company’s revitalisation of the Palais in the past eight years had seen it now listed as best performing Australian theatre and ranked No. 14 in the world.