ALBUM NOTES

Below is a background to two of the songs on the new album "After the Grind" from Mark Kirk.

Eastern Star

On the night of 21st July, 1997, the Fishing vessel “Eastern Star” capsized and sank whilst anchored in Ahrburg Bay, south of the Pieman heads, about 50klm north of Strahan, on the west coast of Tasmania.

Another vessel, the Leeanne, was also moored in the area, and witnesses from the Leeanne say that the Star was hit by a freak wave, between ten and fifteen meters high.

All three crewmen onboard the Eastern Star were lost.

Attempts were made to locate the men, but skipper Wayne Rawlings, Greg Halliday and Clint Patterson were presumed to have perished in the extremely adverse conditions.

Thanks to Wendy Broome for telling me the story, and to Craig Lockwood, Bill Kerr, Dulcie Mole, Ian Purdy, Paul van der Peer, Faye Gardam, Bob Vellacott and Graeme Broxam of Navarine Publishing for their help in providing background information.

Swing that Axe

During the latter years of the Second World War, my father and his family lived in a bush camp on the road to a small town called Excelsior, about half way between Lithgow and Mudgee, on the western slopes of the Great Divide, in NSW.

They cut timber, which my uncle used as props for the shale mine at Glen Davis.

About two weeks before he passed away, Dad took my nephew Nic Lawford and me to look at the remains of that camp.

I think the words have a nice resonance -  Dad swung a real steel and wooden axe to make a living and I swing the six string axe.

The song is quite literal and it’s my dedication to the passing of Fred Kirk, 3/9/2000.