Crowd at Fence (Mulwala)

In the early 1970s David Porter was a contributing photographer for some of the most influential Australian Rock music and underground publications (Go-Set, Daily/Planet, Rolling Stone (Australian Edition), The Digger. Porter was based in Melbourne, his subject the zeitgeist of its Rock/Pop music, underground theatre, and Counterculture scenes, sometimes working as ‘David Porter’, sometimes ‘Jacques L’Affrique’, sometimes ‘Jack Africa’. In 1973 he left Melbourne, stopped working in commercial photography, and pursued a teaching career.

This photograph was taken at ROCK ISLE MUSIC FESTIVAL (31 March – 2 April 1972)
Held Easter 1972 featuring Canned Heat (USA), Carson, Chain, Company Caine, Country Radio, Fat Mumma, Friends, Frieze, Collen Hewett, Highway, Icabod Crane, Ida May Mack, La De Das, Jeannie Lewis, Lobby Loyde & The Coloured Balls, Russell Morris & Clyde, Doug Parkinson, Pirana, S.C.R.A., Stephen Stills & Manassas (USA), Jeff St John, Tamam Shud, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs. Alcohol, violence, and mud marred the festival. Rain, poor planning, low attendances, high fees for imported acts resulted in a loss (and local acts remained unpaid).