Welcome to Shannonville
By Amy Lawson
November 9, 2003
The Sun-Herald
Oz Idol's final 2 ... Shannon Noll (left) and Guy Sebastian
Welcome to Shannonville, population 3000.
Never heard of it? Well, it's better known as Condobolin, the western NSW town on the Lachlan River that has been brought to life by the success of local boy Shannon Noll, one of the final two contestants in television series Australian Idol.
As Lachlan Shire mayor Terry Brady puts it: "The town is not Condobolin any more, it's Shannonville." Plastered on every shop window in town are pictures of the 28-year-old's face on "Go Shannon" posters.
Messages of support and encouragement are chalked on footpaths and buildings along the main street.
Noll's cover version of What About Me? blasts continuously from cars driving through the town.
And locals have been furiously raising money - from selling Shannon cookies to hosting street parties and raffles - to pay for the thousands of phone calls and text messages sent every week to keep their local boy in the contest.
Neighbouring towns such as Parkes are also getting into the spirit by holding fundraisers for the boy from the bush.
After years of one of the worst national droughts on record, Noll is giving the town something to celebrate.
"It's taken their minds off the drought and put us in a festive mood when we're down in the dumps," Mr Brady said.
Mr Brady hopes the publicity surrounding the show and Noll's success will translate into something positive for the town, too.
"It's certainly putting Condobolin on the map and I think it's up to us to take advantage of that," he said. "People know where it is now; we just have to get them to come here."
Mr Brady has promised Noll a royal welcome home and "the keys to the kingdom" when he returns after the November 19 finale. But for just how long that will be is another matter.
Noll's brother, Damian, 32, says that, although no record deal has been struck, he thinks one is on the cards, regardless of whether his brother becomes the first Australian Idol.
And that means Noll will likely move to Sydney with fiancee Rochelle and their sons, Blake, 16 months, and Cody, 3.
But the whole family is behind Noll's decision. His grandparents Kitty and Frank Noll, who run a farm in Condobolin like generations of Nolls before them, think their grandson has found his calling.
"He's an expert header driver and he could shear a sheep or two, but I think music got the first priority," Mrs Noll said.
Damian agrees that his brother has made the right decision.
"At the end of the day, he's not doing this for him, he's not doing this because he's out to be the best singer in the whole wide world," he said. "He's doing it because it's the best chance of setting up a future for his family. He'll make more money out of that than he ever would farming."
The Noll family was forced to sell the family farm last month after drought got the better of them, two years after their father, Neil, died in a farming accident.
Damian said his brother's success had given the whole family some joy in an otherwise bleak period.
"This has been by far the best thing that's happened. It's given mum a bit of something to pick her up," he said.
"It'll be an amazing thing if he's the first Australian Idol, but he'll always be our idol."
Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights are Idol Night at the Royal Hotel.
The four other members of Shannon's old band, Cypress, including Damian and their eldest brother, Adam, get together with other locals at the pub to watch the show.
The rowdy group of farmers and timber workers all hush when Noll comes onto the screen and they gush about him when the other contestants are being shown. The consensus among locals is that Shannon's success is the best thing that's happened in the town for a long time.
"The town is in an absolute frenzy," Damian said. "It's been a pretty wild ride right from the start."
Damian, who plays drums and sings backing vocals in the band, said if he were a few years younger he might have had a crack at Idol, too.
"If they have a senior Idol next year, I'll be in it," he said with a laugh.
If it weren't for the show, Shannon would be here himself, his brother says, having a few beers with the boys after work.
Which is exactly why locals argue he'd be the perfect Australian Idol.
"He's just your average Aussie bloke who likes to have a couple of beers," his brother said.
"Blue", the publican, pulls out a wooden "Shannon wishing well" during the show and passes it around the group at the Royal. The more money they collect, the more votes for Noll.
Town crier Dave "Crockett" Hall has been involved in much of the fundraising, and he says it couldn't be for a more decent bloke.
Ten days ago, they raised $3000 at a street party held for their boy.
"We spend a lot of money out here [on voting] and none of us can really afford it," said Damian, who still works as a sharefarmer in the town.
He went to Sydney with their mother, Sharon, yesterday to watch Noll perform tonight and they'll make the eight-hour drive a couple more times before the final show at the Opera House.
Grandmother Kitty brags that the musical talent comes from her side of the family. Grandfather Frank reckons he's a pretty decent yodeller himself.
How it all began
Channel Ten acquired the rights to Australian Idol in April and held auditions around Australia in June.
The 10,000 people who turned up to audition were whittled down to a top 40, who appeared on the show when it premiered in July.
The 40 were culled to a top 12, who would perform on Sundays - only to discover the following night whether viewers had voted to keep them in the competition or not.
Cosima De Vito's decision to depart the show leaves two contestants vying for the top spot: Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll.
Tomorrow night, both will perform two songs they have chosen themselves.
The winner will be announced in a live broadcast from the Sydney Opera House on November 19.
www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/08/1068243305115.html
