Tamworth Bush Poet ‘Bushie’ Needs Your Help

The bush poet Bushie, a well-known figure at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, needs help from the country music community.

Posting to the Country Music Festivals in Australia group on Facebook, user Anita Tresidder shared the story. Bushie’s entire camp, which included his swag, laptop, phone, camera, sound gear and personal possessions, was stolen on the final day of the festival (Sunday, 28 February).

Bushie’s friend, Kylie Adams-Collier, has started a GoFundMe campaign to help the local legend find his feet again.

“If you've ever enjoyed one of Bushie's wonderful poetry sessions or loved watching him ‘The Bridge’, I invite you to throw a few dollars in the hat to support him,” Tresidder wrote. “He would be the first to help out someone else in need.”

On GoFundMe, Adams-Collier wrote:

Bushie had his camping, merchandise, media equipment, luggage, intellectual property and other possessions stolen from a campsite in Tamworth a day after his 42nd Tamworth Country Music Festival.

A lot of Bushie's possessions, including his writings, are irreplaceable. However, his clothing, camping gear and media equipment are.

For those of you who know my mate, Bushie spends a great deal of time travelling regional Festivals as a bush poet.

Please help Bushie get back on track. Any donation would be greatly appreciated.

You can contribute to the GoFundMe fundraiser here.

This year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival – the 42nd edition – ran from Friday, 19 January, until Sunday, 28 January and starred names including Amber Lawrence (who was crowned Female Artist Of The Year at the 2023 Golden Guitars), Andrew Swift (Male Artist Of The Year), fellow Golden Guitar ‘23 winners Lyn Bowtell and Luke O’Shea, 2023 Toyota Star Maker Loren Ryan, 2023 Golden Gig winner Caitlyn Jamieson, and 2023 Busking Champion Lane Pittman, and many more.

The festival is also home to the annual Toyota Star Maker grand final, which was won by 25-year-old Winton, Queensland-based singer Wade Forster this year.

As well as Forster, the 2024 Star Maker top-ten finalists were Felicity Dowd, Jake Whittaker, Jemma Beech, Jay Santilli, Nathan Lamont, Dakota East, Ethan Calway, Piper Rodrigues and Jimbo Stokes.