LOCAL LIFE
Dwayne Elix
Vale Derek Cannon
pub and at town social events.
While using his voice and his magical fingers to earn a quid full-time in music, young Dwayne got his hands dirty working alongside his father on the family’ s 1000-acre wheat and sheep property.
“ I left school at 14 years and 10 months and joined dad driving tractors, sowing and reaping wheat, feeding the sheep – I also had a go at shearing but that wasn’ t my caper,” Dwayne laughed.
In 1983, the 18-year-old left home for Adelaide where he worked for three years as a plasterer’ s labourer in the building industry before finding a job as an engine assembler at the Adelaide Mitsubishi Plant.
Despite the hard yakka with those hands, Dwayne’ s journey in music continued, firstly with the Trisha Wilson and Midnight Mountain Blue band, then between 1991-93, with his own band, Honky Stomp.
“ I went solo early in’ 93, and recorded two songs I’ d written, Midnight Mountain Blues and Back Home, which I sent off as recordings to the 1993 Tamworth Starmaker Quest,” Dwayne said.
Judges received a motza of entries from all over Australia and Dwayne was obviously over-the-moon when he was named as one of the 20 finalists to perform at that’ s year’ s Tamworth Country Music Festival.
“ It was just an amazing time in my life, getting up on stage performing and backed by a full band, singing both my songs in front of a packed audience both at the then main venue at the festival, Tamworth Town Hall,” Dwayne said.
In the audience that night was renowned songwriter, Heather Field, who had co-written songs with the likes of James Blundell, Keith Urban and Tina Arena.
Music has always been a major part in Dwayne’ s life. That’ s him on the mandolin,( second from left) with one of his earlier bands.
“ Heather introduced herself to me, told me she liked my songs and urged me to come to Sydney to work with her,” Dwayne said.
So, early the following year, Dwayne was off to Sydney where the pair co-wrote two well-received singles for Dwayne to perform, I Can Cry, and She Took the Engineer.
“ I settled in South Windsor because it still had that country-feel and have loved living here ever since.”
During that first year in the Big Smoke, Dwayne formed his own band, Dwayne and the Engineers, who quickly became popular performers on the club circuit.
“ I did the vocals and played guitar, we had a violinist, drummer and a bass player, Dave Cook who is still a member of the band 31 years later,” Dawayne said.
Throughout his long career, Dwayne has produced a remarkable 50 albums across Country and Western and Bluegrass – and he ain’ t finished yet!
Yes indeed, Dwayne Elix hasn’ t discovered the famed elixir, but his has been a life fulfilled!
“ When the days comes that I decided to call it quits, I want to settle on the seafront at Port Broughton( South Australia) where my mum and dad took us on holidays when I was a kid,” he said.
“ Just sitting in a rocking chair on a big porch with my banjo and fishing rod alongside!”
Derek with his beloved wife, Edna and their two daughters, Julie and Debbie.
by Greg Martin
It is with a sad heart that I have to report that Derek Cannon, this magazine’ s Hawkesbury’ s Finest subject in our July edition, has passed away. This remarkable, inspirational man left this place on July 28, just a week or so away from his 88th birthday, leaving behind his beloved wife of 63 years, Edna, daughters Julie and Debbie and six grandchildren.
During my interview with Derek, he informed me that he had terminal cancer and“ the end is nigh”.
As I wrote:“ Derek relayed this information as though he was telling me it was a lovely, sunny day”.
During his time in this place, Derek loved getting high, climbing some of the world’ s greatest peaks. If there is a Heaven way up there, Derek will certainly find the perfect place to rest in peace.
FROM THE MAYOR’ S DESK
with Hawkesbury City Mayor Les Sheather
OPEN AIR CINEMA
Our next major event is the Open Air Cinema at Richmond Oval in support of RAAF Richmond’ s Centenary Air Show weekend. Make a plan to come and watch Top Gun in the park with free popcorn, facepainting, roving entertainment and more on Saturday 27 September from 6pm.
Our Visitor Information Centre has also gone the extra mile to roll out the red carpet to the more than 80,000 visitors expected over the weekend – creating a Wings Trail! If you love delicious hot wings, then make sure you check out the Wings Trail map closer to the date at www. discoverthehawkesbury. com. au or on Council’ s social media platforms. They will also sell official RAAF merchandise across the weekend.
MACQUARIE PARK UPGRADES COMPLETED If you haven’ t visited our beautiful Macquarie Park in a while, now is the perfect time to get reacquainted. The weather is beginning to warm up and we’ ve recently completed $ 2 million of upgrades, including a bigger playground, more shaded picnic areas, more barbecues and timber daybeds overlooking the river.
The works received funding from the Australian and NSW governments as well as from Council.
We are committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our community by creating even more enjoyable recreational spaces right across our City.
RAISING THE PROFILE OF OUR
VOLUNTEERS Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Hawkesbury community, and we are extremely fortunate to have our own dedicated band of volunteers providing invaluable support at our Museum, Library, Gallery, Bushcare and Nursery. To support our volunteers, Council staff are currently developing a new Volunteer Policy, a Code of Conduct for Volunteers and Community Representatives, and a Volunteer Strategy.
Over the next six months, expect to see us raise the profile of our amazing volunteers, both in Council and within the wider community, who make our community stronger, connected and more resilient.
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THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 183 // AUGUST 2025 7