The Kingston Trio Place
Presents
Dave Guard In Australia - Part I
In late 1962, after leaving The Kingston Trio in 1961, and subsequently, The Whiskeyhill Singers in 1962, Dave Guard and his family emigrated to Australia. He purchased a home in the prestigious Whale Beach area near Sydney. In 1965, after doing much studio work, Dave landed his own TV show, Dave's Place, on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission). Following the show's only season, Dave continued to do studio and backup work until moving back to the United States in 1968.
Kingston Trio fan, Ken Bradshaw, a native Australian, was so entranced by the sound and aura of The Kingston Trio that he took a trip down to Dave's house in 1963. For background on this trip and some vintage home photos, please see Jerry Kergan's Liner Notes Website, and the Dave's Place page.
Recently, in June 2006, with his wife, Jane, Ken took another trip back to Whale Beach and the past, to see if anything had changed. Ken recounts,
"We went to Sydney for a few days during the week. I took the opportunity while I was there to go somewhere that I haven't been for 43 years. It was Dave Guard's former home at Whale Beach. Unfortunately, it is the back of the house that faces the street, so I could not get close to the front without trespassing. It has changed very little since I last saw it, except for some signs of age. It was a fairly flash place in its day, but less so now. Probably worth around $3 million or more just the same. The place seemed empty except for a little outside furniture when we visited. No idea who owns it now. It was in August 1963 that I last saw Dave Guard's house. I did not go in because it was early on a Sunday morning as I recall, and there did not appear to be anyone around. What would I say if I did go in, '"Came for a sticky beak, Dave?"' I am sure that he had enough of that already as his name and address were in the telephone book. That is not to say that Dave's presence here was not "big business" for me as a teenager. This was all two years before Dave's Place. You may know that the house had only one owner after Dave until it was sold again in 1999 for $1.8 million, I think. The house does not seem to have changed since I last saw it except for some obvious evidence of aging."
The following images are courtesy of Ken Bradshaw:
Dave's Place:
Click images to download a larger view
Dave Guard, Kerrilee Male and Chris Bonett belt out God Moves On The Water |
Dave, Kerrilee and Chris with more of God Moves On The Water |
Dave does his solo bit on God Moves On The Water, backed by his big Gibson 12-string |
Dave, Chris and Norma Stoneman are joined by harmonica player Shane Duckham on the rousing He's All These Things |
Dave's Place TV show streaming video and song files!
Dave Guard's House At Whale Beach, June 2006:
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A digital zoom of the front of the house from the actual beach. |
The entrance to Dave's house from Morella Road, |
A side angle shot from Morella Road, showing part of |
A zoom picture from Morella Road across the roof of the house to the |
Above photos by Ken Bradshaw
Many thanks to Ken Bradshaw for sharing his story and photos with us!
Dave Guard In Australia - Part II
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