Watling & Bates

Half a century ago, when outer suburbs of Australian cities were still semi-rural, kids kept horses in local paddocks and rode them through

📍 Unumgar, NSW· Country

Peaked #4 on the Local Sounds Chart

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About the Artist

Half a century ago, when outer suburbs of Australian cities were still semi-rural, kids kept horses in local paddocks and rode them through neighbourhood streets. As the city expanded into the suburbs, yards got smaller and regulations got tighter. The suburbs lost their country feel, and horse-riding became an expensive hobby, restricted to equestrian centres and country estates. Hey Julie! tells the story of Geoffrey Bates’ sister Julie, whose teenage years in the suburbs were filled with family, friends, and horses in the paddock. After a lifetime in the traffic-filled suburban outskirts of Melbourne, Julie moved to regional NSW to enjoy a life with horses, a trip back in time to those care-free days on the country side of town. Hey Julie! features vocals, fiddle, and bass by Kym Watling; guitar and backing vocals by Geoffrey Bates; mandolin by Christopher Ridgway; and drums by Scott French. The song was written by Kym Watling and Geoffrey Bates, based upon the stories and reminiscences of Julie’s family and friends. Hey Julie! was recorded and produced by Geoffrey Bates, engineered by Scott French of Lovestreet Studios, Currumbin Qld., and mastered by Paul Blakey of 12th & Vine Post, Broadbeach Qld.

June 2026

On Local Sounds