What’s Happening?
Newcastle radio host and music historian Jack Hodgins is writing a definitive book on Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, Australia’s largest national band competition, which ran from 1966 to 1972. Hodgins is appealing to Townsville locals who were part of the iconic music event — or who have memories or memorabilia — to contribute to his research.
Why It Matters
While Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds attracted legendary bands like Sherbet and The Twilights, many regional Australian cities, including Townsville, played a key role in discovering and showcasing local talent. Hodgins’ book will be the first serious documentation of the competition and its cultural impact, both locally and nationally.
“It gave bands a chance to play, in many cases, to the biggest crowds they would ever play,” Hodgins explains. “And all they would have to do is send in a coupon to their local radio station and then they could play their local area’s heat.”
Local Impact
Radio station 4TO hosted the Townsville heats. In 1969, local group The Living Image took top honours, followed by The Klub in 1970. These bands competed at the state level, reflecting the strength of North Queensland’s music scene at the time.
Hodgins believes locals may hold the missing pieces to many of the contest’s unrecorded moments. “A big focus of my research is who played which heat and the songs performed. Not all of this information was written down, so in some cases the only sources are those who were there,” he says.
By the Numbers
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1966–1972: Duration of Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, backed by Hoadley’s Chocolates, makers of Violet Crumble.
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60+ heats were held annually across Australia during the competition’s peak.
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3,000+ bands reportedly entered across the competition’s seven-year run.
Zoom In
Hodgins’ research journey began during his work on the radio show Vinyl Vibes. “I was interviewing a lot of Newcastle musicians from the ’60s and ’70s, and they kept bringing up Hoadley’s,” he recalls.
After following online threads and local music group pages, he stumbled upon a 1995 PDF that loosely documented the contest. “It’s the only resource out there, but it has a lot of gaps,” he explains.
One of the most surprising discoveries so far? Surviving audio from the 1966 Lismore heat — featuring The Brass Nobbs, a band that included Jeff Fatt, who would later become a founding member of The Wiggles.
Zoom Out
Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds wasn’t just a contest — it was a national cultural movement. It gave rise to a generation of Australian bands, provided major prizes including cash and trips to England, and remains unmatched in scale globally.
“From my research so far, it appears to be the only battle of the bands competition of this scale to have occurred anywhere in the world,” says Hodgins.
What to Look for Next?
Hodgins is aiming for a June 2026 release of the book and hopes to connect with more individuals from the Townsville region. “These individuals may be the only sources for the valuable insights and details they hold,” he says.
Anyone with memories, photos, setlists, or personal stories from Townsville’s Hoadley’s events is encouraged to reach out.
