MUSICAL ROOTS

Growing up in the Mills Family meant music, music, and more music.  The Mills Family house was like a drop-in centre, refuge, resource centre and family home all rolled into one. Parents, David and Kathy, both loved to sing and play music together. The Mills Sisters performing at the Gardens Amphitheatre, Darwin in the 1980's. Left to right: Violet, Allyson, Barbara and June.      David would play the guitar and Kathy would play the ukelele and both would sing in harmony.  They would sing all the popular songs of the era, with many of them being the top musicals of the day.       David was an extremely talented, self-taught musician, who played by ear, mastered every instrument he laid  his hand on. Guitar, steel guitar, ukelele, mandolin, drums - perfect accompaniment to a beautiful singing voice and a wonderful entertainer. David is well loved as a comedian and storyteller of real life events, and in particular historical events.        Kathy Mills compliments David's skills beautifully with her incredible ability to memorise songs and historical and cultural information. Kathy has her own powerhouse of talents to contribute to the community of Darwin and the Aboriginal people both here and elsewhere. Being an honest, fair minded and extremely hard working woman she was to become one of the most respected aboriginal activists in the history of Australia.   They were both born in 1936 and are still singing together at social gathering and special entertainment nights when the occasion arises.  Kathy has always loved to write and many of the songs that she and her daughters sing, started out as mum's poetry.".

Once June and her sisters had formed a folk-country group the demand for them to perform was overwhelming!  In 1982 a break came in the form of a support gig for the Bushwackers and Bullamakanka.      They were soon asked to support big names, such as, Tina Turner and Charlie Pride. Throughout the 1980's the quartet toured to Tamworth, where they picked up the Australasian Busker's Award; Alice Springs, to perform for the Papal Visit; plus gigs in Melbourne and Sydney. Back to June's Homepage