Robbie Mortimer's My Countrytown: Orange

On Friday, November 29th, Robbie Mortimer achieved a career milestone, selling out the Orange Civic Theatre. This accomplishment marked a significant highlight in his journey, one that Mortimer credits to “nothing but hard work”. To celebrate the sold-out event, Countrytown sat down with the rising country star to explore why this moment was so meaningful and the road that led him there.

Hailing from a farm outside Orange in the picturesque countryside of New South Wales, Mortimer grew up with his parents and four older brothers. Coming from one of the most renowned families in Rugby League, Mortimer attributes his freedom to chase his dreams to his parents, who encouraged their children to follow any path they desired with the guiding principle: “As long as you do it properly.”

A former special needs school teacher, Mortimer made the bold decision to leave his day job after competing in the 2023 Toyota Star Maker competition. “The second I walked off that stage, I knew I had to pursue this dream,” he shared.

In 2024 alone, Mortimer achieved over 1.8 million streams and landed a #1 spot on CMT with his infectious anthem You Got That Love. He performed across Australia on the PBR Monster Energy circuit, where he was also presented a gold buckle for Entertainer of the Year. Mortimer then brought the energy to his first major country music festival performance at the Groundwater Country Music Festival.

These achievements were all stepping stones to a lifelong goal: selling out the Orange Civic Theatre. “This was a 20-year dream come true,” he said. “I remember playing the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz musical at school when I was 10 years old, I looked around the theatre and told myself, ‘I’ll sell this place out one day.’” Two decades later, that promise became a reality.

The sold-out show was a statement to the music industry that Mortimer’s star is undeniably rising. Fans travelled from near and far to witness the event, proving his music resonates deeply with audiences. 

However, the journey to this moment wasn’t without its challenges. “This year was tough for me personally,” Mortimer admitted. “There were times I couldn’t even listen to music. I fell out of love with it, and the business hurt me. On top of that, I was told I couldn’t sell 100 tickets in this theatre. That was nothing but motivation for me, so to sell over 500 was the icing on the cake after such a rollercoaster of a year.”

The show itself was a masterclass in storytelling and entertainment. Mortimer performed songs written in his hometown of Orange as well as tracks created in Nashville, Tennessee, taking the audience on an intimate and exhilarating journey. True to his high-energy reputation, the night was filled with vibrant lights, beach balls, and the electric atmosphere that has become a hallmark of Robbie Mortimer’s performances.

To ensure the show’s success, Mortimer adopted a “whatever it takes” mentality. “I hung posters all over town myself, which isn’t the easiest thing to do as the artist” he laughed “but the most important thing to me was the show itself, I wanted the show to be unique, something people would never forget, and I’m sure we delivered that” 

For Mortimer, the sold-out Orange Civic Theatre was not just a career highlight but a testament to perseverance, passion, and the power of dreaming big.

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When asked what he loves most about his hometown, Mortimer simply smiled and said, “It’s where my story began—and it’s the reason I’m here today.” So naturally, Countrytown asked Mortimer about his favourite things in his country town. 

Wineries 

My parents, older brothers and I planted a vineyard in 1996 on our family farm. We were just kids. Looking back at that now it’s insane the amount of hard work we did as kids growing up on the farm, but I wouldn’t change it for anything! We have a beautiful family-owned winery that we planted, picked and made. We have gold medal winning varieties and millions of memories of being wild country kids, learning about life on the land. I love my wine and have been educated by the very best. It’s a unique skill myself and my brothers have continued to develop. Orange now has over 60 vineyards and I’m proud to say my family were one of the very first to do so. 

And my favourite quote from my dad about the best thing about owning a winery. “if you’ve had a bad day, you can sit down and have a glass of wine, if you’ve had a great day, you can sit down and have a glass of wine”. 

Pubs 

There are many historical and great pubs in Orange. In fact, I credit a number of these amazing venues for giving me my first opportunity to perform live music. I wouldn’t be where I am today without places like the Parkview, the Canobolas and the Agrestic Grocer. This is where I learnt how to control and read a crowd and learn how to put up the bloke who had maybe one to many. Man, it made me resilient! The thing I love most about these pubs though, is the sense of community. From the Friday meat raffle to the locals who sit out the front of the “Gladdy” with a smoke and just watch the world go by. There is something beautiful about a country town pub. I made a fool out of myself in most of them and had some of the best memories I’ve ever had in the rest of them. I love that whatever pub I walk into in Orange, I could pull a stool up to anyone, have a chat and solve the world’s problems. These pubs are the backbone of our little country community. 

Seasons 

The first thing I hear when I tell people I’m from Orange is “coldest place on earth”. I always laugh but agree! Winter is bitter but beautiful in Orange, you really get your four seasons. The spring is lovely after a winter that feels like it ends in October, summer is hot and dry, and in autumn the town glows in orange, red and yellow! It’s truly magical to see. But yep! It's bloody cold! In fact, one winters day, my brother and I wagged school and drove up the top of Mount Canobolas.The photographer of the local paper was taking photos of the snow when suddenly his car was pelted with snowballs. He stopped and took a picture, which ended up on the front of the local paper. The next day we heard our names being called to the principal’s office. That was a hard “absence” from school to explain.

History

Orange was founded on the goldrush, so the history is rich and proud. Originally named ‘Blackmans swamp’, I spent a lot of my childhood hearing stories of the old buildings, and landmarks, and laughing how one of the only things we can’t grow in Orange is… Oranges. Many famous people have hailed from Orange including the man on the $10 note and writer of world famous and iconic Australian literature Banjo Patterson. Also 31-time World Ten Pin Bowling Champion, Jason Belmonte. Hey, we even claim Murray Cook, the original Red Wiggle. Orange has a rich and proud Indigenous history and landmarks to match including Lake and Mount Canobolas. I have loved learning the stories of this growing up and passing it on to others on my travels across the country. 

ALL YOU CAN EAT PIZZA HUT!! (yes, you read that correctly)

Pizza hut! YES, we have the last DINE IN, ALL YOU CAN EAT Pizza hut in NSW possibly Australia. Can you imagine being 16 years old in a small country town and frequenting the all you can eat franchise with your best mates or even on a date? The best part is, it’s still fully functioning and when I need a good hit of nostalgia, we will head back for a laugh and eat until we’re sick for old times sake.