Trevis Wellington Hedge with Graeham Goble a brief (1968-69) Adelaide sensation and a battle of the bands high flyer
Travis Wellington Hedge vocal groups category of the South Australian final of Hoadley’s Battle of the Bands in 1969 and finished third in the national final, with a record 1,000 bands in the overall competition that year.
Travis Wellington Hedge, in its 10-month 1968-69) Adelaide pop rock life, completed 83 performances, including two at Centennial Hall, then a major venue for the city’s music concerts.
It was an early band of noted musician and composer Graeham Goble, who had later success with Mississipi, Little River Band and Birtles Shorrock Goble.
Goble, who written a "ot of material" formed Travis Wellington Hedge(other members: Rod Leedham, Shane Simon, Greg Trezise, Rick Phillips) in late 1968 after his first band,The Silence, broke up. Its first public performance was a Port Noarlunga’s Teen Scene Club in November 1968. Its wide range of Adelaide venues from then included Sergeant Peppers, The Scene, Snoopy’s Hollow, Castel Park Country Club. Ombo Surf Lifesaving Club at Glenelg, 20 Plus Club, Cooinda Club, Fiesta Villa, St Clair Youth Centre, Brighton Hotel, Rothman’s Theatrette, Sturt Lacrosse Club and Norwood Football Club.
Travis Wellington Hedge’s hectic schedule also included nine television appearances, on programmes such as Adelaide Tonight, Today Tonight on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and In Time.
Travis Wellington Hedge won the vocal groups category of the South Australian final of Hoadley’s Battle of the Bands in 1969 – the peak year of the contest, with more than 1,000 bands competing. In August, it finished third at the national final won by Sydney band, The Affair, featuring Kerrie Biddell.
In 1969, Travis Wellington Hedge recorded an RCA Australia label.single, with the A side a cover of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine track “Hey Bulldog” and the B side covering Screamin’Jay Hawkins’ “I put a spell on you”. "Hey Bulldog" later reappeared as Track 16 on the "psychotropic" compilation Datura Dreamtime, a precursor to the Little River Band, who achieved international fame. Other album tracks featured Goble's future Little River Band mates: Glen Shorrock with The Twilights and Beeb Birtles with Zoot and Goble's next band Alison Gros.
Travis Wellington Hedge broke up towards the end of 1969. Their last performance was at Adelaide's Princeton Club in October. Graeham Goble, Shane Simon and Rob Leedham went on to form Allison Gros, later known as Mississippi.