A LONG-held dream came true for Kate Rayner this month when the South East town of Lucindale hosted Triple J's One Night Stand.
In 2004, she attended the first free, all-ages ABC concert in Natimuk, Vic, and saw how music galvanised the local farming community, young and old alike, and brought big economic rewards.
"While I was there I thought, 'If this little town can do it, why can't we?'" Ms Rayner said.
With the help of local school students, she ran a long grassroots campaign through Facebook to catch the ABC's attention, beginning with a page in 2013 that has since garnered 12,445 'likes'.
"I really wanted the young people of Lucindale and the Limestone Coast to be part of something big, something exciting," Ms Rayner said.
After two failed bids in 2014 and 2018, which were won by Mildura, Vic, and St Helens, Tas, respectively, Lucindale was named host in June of the 2019 Triple J One Night Stand.
Acts such as Hilltop Hoods and Ocean Alley headlined the concert on the town's football oval on September 14.
"I still can't believe that we achieved it," Ms Rayner said.
"For me, it's an exciting dream come true, which couldn't have happened without the backing of this incredible community.
"We had lots of road blocks but we persisted.
"We pushed and we pushed and we pushed and it was almost unreal to see it come to life in front of our eyes.
"I am happy to say we hit it out of the park."
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The tiny town of 500 people had three months to prepare for a concert that attracts up to 20,000 attendees.
Georgie McKay, Egremont, Lucindale, said the committee had to prove to the ABC that its small size was inconsequential to hosting such a big event.
She said providing safe accommodation and food, as well as all the essential infrastructure and consistent, smooth communication with potential attendees were top priorities.
Indeed, some 200 toilets, 100 showers, 45 catering vans, nine light towers and 2.1 kilometres of security fencing were brought in to service the concert venue and camping site.
A pop-up grocery store was established in the town's senior citizen hall, while Yakka Park - the South East Field Days site - hosted 5000 campers.
"Lucindale is one of those communities that punches well above its weight," McKay said.
"We get together and we make things happen.
"Nothing is insurmountable."
Early estimates from the Naracoorte Lucindale Council have valued the visitor spend across the four days of the extended event weekend at $15 million.
And, festival goers donated $22,558 in gold coins to the Stand Like Stone foundation.
The donation will be split between youth leadership scholarships and completing the Lucindale Community Pool.
Lucindale Area School principal Adrian Maywald said the campaign to host the concert and complete the 25-metre, three-lane heated pool reflected the town's persistence and passion.
"It sums up the way Lucindale operates as a community," he said.
"We set a goal and we get it done.
"It sends a consistent message that, regardless of if you are rich or poor, from the city or the country, if you have a dream and you put in the hard yards, your dream will come true."
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