What's New June 12, 2024

Darwin’s Mix 104.9FM supports great cause with the Top End Guitar

Reporter

Last year, the team at Darwin’s Mix 104.9FM hatched a special plan to support the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, a charity which raises money for equipment to go into hospitals in the Northern Territory.

The idea? Getting a guitar signed by Aussie musos and putting it up for auction.

As Breakfast announcer Dan Hilliard explains “We wanted to get as many signatures as possible of Aussie artists that travel to the Top End for the year 2023-2024.”

They just needed a guitar.

Then came the chance to interview Troy Cassar-Daley for the Red Hot Summer Tour.

“At the end of the interview we asked if he had a guitar that he no longer uses,” says Dan.

“He was all too happy when we told him about the Humpty Dumpty Foundation. He gave us a Takamine guitar and we got to tracking down signatures.”

A year later, it’s exploded.

“We have over 29 signatures, including Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, Bernard Fanning, James Reyne, Ella Hooper, Rouge Traders, Nollsey, Ian Moss, Kate Ceberano, finally Jessica Mauboy and with Leisha joining me up here she also got Casey Barnes, plus so many more.”

That equates to over 410 ARIA nominations and nearly 110 wins.

Dan says plenty of favours were traded, times were moved, late night runs were made and many emails were sent in order to secure these prized signatures.

Furthering the cause, Richard Wilkins, Sandra Sully, Ray Martin and Johanna Griggs all spoke about the Top End Guitar being a true piece of Australian music history.

The guitar now goes up for auction across the nation, accessible via the Humpty Dumpty Foundation website.

Dan says when the team first got involved with the Humpy Dumpty Foundation in 2022, everyone was impressed by its transparency and cause.

“The NT has an infant mortality rate 3 times higher than the Australian average and to date more than $7.2 million has been raised by the Humpty Dumpty Foundation to provide essential medical equipment for 88% of all public hospitals and health services across the Northern Territory.”