Over the course of his career, he collected more gold and platinum albums than any other Australian artist.
Dusty not only recorded songs written by himself and other fellow Australian performers, but also recorded classic Australian poems by Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson with new tunes, to call attention to the old 'Bush Ballads.' An example is The Man from Snowy River by Paterson.
In 1970, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to music. In 1971 he won Best Single at the Australian Country Music Awards at the Tamworth Country Music Festival (Slim's wife Joy McKean won Song of the Year as writer of the song for which he won best single). In all, he won a record 35 "Golden Guitars" over the years.
He died at home in St Ives, New South Wales on 19 September 2003 after a protracted battle with cancer, at age 76.
The Slim Dusty Story started back in the 1940s on a remote dairy farm in the hills behind Kempsey, NSW, when a 10-year-old boy dreamed of being a country music singer. His name was David Gordon Kirkpatrick... he called himself "Slim Dusty" and began to live that dream.
But even the most optimistic farm boy would never have imagined the life that was to unfold... a life that would establish Slim as the voice of the nation, the chronicler of Australian history in song.
Slim managed to hold on to those early visions of writing and singing about the bush because during his lengthy career, he always stayed in touch with his audience. And he did this in a very real and meaningful way, so much so that his fans would feel that Slim was one of their mates and his songs "just a good yarn you might hear from a mate at the pub, around a campfire in the bush or at a back yard barbie".
He described his music as "songs about real Australians... "I have to be fair dinkum with my audience. I can't see any other way of doing it," he said. "You have to believe in what you are singing about."
Slim Dusty was the first Australian to have a number one hit record and the only Australian to ever receive a 78rpm Gold Record (for A Pub With No Beer in 1958)...
He was the first Australian to have an international record hit and the first singer in the world to have his voice beamed to earth from space (astronauts Bob Crippen and John Young played Slim's recording of Waltzing Matilda from the space shuttle "Columbia" as it passed over Australia back in 1983).
During an amazingly successful career spanning over six decades, Slims' continued popularity saw him rewarded with more Gold and Platinum Awards for sales of his singles, eight-tracks, cassettes, CD's, videos and DVDs... more than any other Australian artist!
He received an unequaled 37 Golden Guitar Awards, two ARIA's (Australian Recording Industry Association awards), inductions into the ARIA Hall of Fame and the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown.
Slim was recognized for his long time services to Australian entertainment with an MBE and an Order of Australia. In 1999, Prime Minister John Howard named Slim Dusty Australia's Father of the Year and Senior Australian of the Year. There were many other awards and honors... too many to name here!
Dusty died at his home in St Ives, New South Wales on 19 September 2003 at the age of 76, after a protracted battle with cancer.
Port Augusta
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life in Port Augusta, remains the same
The world goes by and the world gets strange
Except in Port Augusta
Road trains rollin' through the night to anywhere
Headin' north to Alice or west out on the Eyre
People they keep passin' by just like the time
Way down the line
Life in Port Augusta, things don't change
Life in Port Augusta, remains the same
The world goes by, and the world gets strange
Except in Port Augusta
Out there on the bypass doin' business night and day
Fast food multi nationals sellin' plastic take away
While the shops in town are closin' down
Dried up dreams on stony ground
You wonder why it always seems to end up this way
Same old way
Nobody seems to question or even wonder why
Some towns get forgotten and left alone to die
While out there on the highway faded signs
Of glory days and memories in time
Port Augusta time
And the older generation in silence fade away
No work for the younger folk no reason left to stay
And out there on the highway there's a sign
Find a better future down the line
Way down the line
Life in Port Augusta, things don't change
Life in Port Augusta, remains the same
The world goes by and the world gets strange
Except in Port Augusta
Slim Dusty's song "Port Augusta" is a melancholic reflection on the slow decline of a small town in Australia. The repetitive chorus ("Life in Port Augusta, things don't change, life in Port Augusta, remains the same, the world goes by, and the world gets strange, except in Port Augusta") paints a picture of stagnation and isolation, with the rest of the world moving on while this town remains stuck in time. The lyrics mention road trains passing through the night, headed to places like Alice Springs and the Eyre Peninsula, but Port Augusta seems to be little more than a pitstop in these journeys. The town's once-thriving shops are closing down, the dreams of the older generation have dried up, and there's little reason for young people to stay. The only sign of hope is a faded placard on the highway, promising a "better future down the line."
Dusty's choice of imagery is powerful in its simplicity. The road trains that pass Port Augusta by are a symbol of movement and change, while the town remains stubbornly still. The juxtaposition of multinational fast food outlets with the failing local shops highlights the encroachment of homogeneity on individuality. The sign for a better future is a reminder of how small towns like Port Augusta have been left behind by progress. The song speaks to a universal truth: that some places simply get left behind, forgotten in the wheel of progress, as the world moves on at an ever-increasing pace.
Line by Line Meaning
Life in Port Augusta, things don't change
In Port Augusta, life is stagnant and there is no noticeable progress or growth
Life in Port Augusta, remains the same
The quality of life and living standards in Port Augusta are consistent and unchanging
The world goes by and the world gets strange
Despite the constant changes and transformations in the world, Port Augusta remains unaltered and unaffected
Except in Port Augusta
Port Augusta is an exception to the ever-evolving world, remaining stagnant and not changing with the times
Road trains rollin' through the night to anywhere
Big trucks travel through Port Augusta all night, heading to various destinations
Headin' north to Alice or west out on the Eyre
The trucks are going either north to Alice Springs or westward toward the Eyre Highway
People they keep passin' by just like the time
Just as time keeps moving, people keep passing through Port Augusta
Sydney Melbourne Adelaide, Perth on down the line
Major Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth are stops on the route through Port Augusta
Way down the line
These cities are far down the route from Port Augusta
Out there on the bypass doin' business night and day
Businesses operate constantly on the bypass outside of Port Augusta
Fast food multi nationals sellin' plastic take away
Large fast food chains that sell disposable food are some of the businesses on the bypass
While the shops in town are closin' down
Local shops in Port Augusta are closing, perhaps due to competition from bypass businesses
Dried up dreams on stony ground
The hopes and aspirations of the people of Port Augusta are fading away due to the lack of opportunity and growth in the town
You wonder why it always seems to end up this way
It's puzzling why Port Augusta is always in this situation of economic stasis and decline
Same old way
Port Augusta's situation is constantly the same - no growth, no change
Nobody seems to question or even wonder why
The people of Port Augusta do not seem to be asking why their town is stagnant and not growing
Some towns get forgotten and left alone to die
Certain towns like Port Augusta are overlooked and ignored, leading to their decline and eventual death
While out there on the highway faded signs
Along the highway, there are signs of businesses and landmarks that have faded away or disappeared
Of glory days and memories in time
These faded signs are remnants of past glories and memories from better times in Port Augusta's history
Port Augusta time
The time in Port Augusta has not progressed or changed, remaining stagnant and still
And the older generation in silence fade away
The older generation in Port Augusta is gradually disappearing, without much attention or concern
No work for the younger folk no reason left to stay
There is no employment for the younger generation in Port Augusta, giving them no incentive to remain in the town
And out there on the highway there's a sign
Along the highway outside of Port Augusta, there is a sign
Find a better future down the line
The sign encourages people to leave Port Augusta and look for a brighter future elsewhere
Contributed by Lillian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@karinamclachlan6577
Great song I was born and bred
@711ROWDY
Cross Roads of The North... Should be booming
@seanmunro-schneider4190
Pouring buckets in port Augusta
@hannadale7414
I am doing this song for school
@someoneelse5172
I am doing this song for my dad
@711ROWDY
How right did he get it! thank Fark I got out of there
@eileenammuraca7348
Natalie merchant
@holdup1190
Its not that bad rlly....
It has its goods and bads like a human it just needs more love and treating
@aldrejw
Written by Steve Grace
@therooster22
aldrejw no written by Slim Dusty