Funding Secured for Slim Dusty Centre
Posted Thu May 29,
2008
A lasting tribute to country music legend Slim
Dusty has become a reality with an injection of funding from the
New South Wales Government.
Premier Morris Iemma has today presented a cheque for $1.5
million to the singer's widow, Joy McKean, to build the Slim Dusty
Centre in his NSW mid-north coast home town of Kempsey.
The money comes on top of federal funding and $300,000 the State
Government has already provided to the Slim Dusty Foundation to buy
12 hectares of Crown land on the Pacific Highway.
Mr Iemma says the centre will house memorabilia to showcase the
Australian's life story.
"What he did for Australian country music - putting it on the map
- deserves to be recognised and rewarded," he said.
"Those 60 years of memorabilia that he has collected deserves a
place that it can be stored safely and securely but also exhibited."
Ms McKean is hoping to regain some more space in her home. She
says she is excited that construction can finally start.
"We've collected manuscripts too from old writers," she said.
"We have all of Slim's awards. I think we'll have one little area
where we'll put all the gold records, Golden Guitars and all sorts
of awards."
Acknowledgement to www.abc.net.au
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