John Williamson is one of Australian culture's true icons and there's no sign of him letting up just yet, writes VAUGHAN MAYBERRY

There’s no more fair dinkum Australian than John Williamson.

He has become the doyen of the outback and the king of the Aussie battler writing heartfelt, patriotic ballads about our country and its varied inhabitants.

John turned 63 at the start of the month and if there’s a career-ending moment in sight for this iconic singer-songwriter, he’s certainly not telling us about it.

In fact, he says he’s going stronger than ever, still willing and able to pen potential classics at will.

"You can’t run out of material in this country," John told timeOUT  recently.

"Artists that say that they do aren’t trying hard enough."

And after almost 40 years in the music business, which includes an incredible 38 albums, John has released another bunch of tracks with that similar air of "Australianess" that many of us have come to love and respect.

His first album in almost three years is inspired by his rural retreat in the Queensland hinterland (called Springbrook) and is a backhanded compliment to the people who live and influence the area.

John moved from Sydney to the spectacular spot, tucked away near the Sunshine Coast, about 18 months ago after separating from his wife of 35 years, Mary Kay.

It didn’t take him long to write some new material about his little patch and the people he had met.

Hillbilly Road is one of John’s more sentimental albums, even containing some tear-jerking love ballads such as Drink A Little Love and Beach Of Love, which aren’t often among his repertoire.

"I don’t usually have so many love songs in the one album," he quips.

"One radio commentator said to me it’s even a bit lovey-dovey.

"I’d hate for people to think it was like that.

"I say it’s more about characters in the bush."

No matter what the content is, the album is already shaping up as another classic.

It debuted at No.1 on the ARIA Country Chart when it was released in August and went as high as No.6 on the ARIA Album Chart, proving John’s popularity in the mainstream.

Hillbilly Road has also been nominated for awards in six categories at the 37th Country Music Association of Australia Awards, to be held in Tamworth early in the new year.

One of those nominations is for Song Of The Year for Cydi, the first single from the album.

Cydi – short for sidekick – is a song inspired by a letter he received that described a woman whose father had no sons and grew up to run the farm.

John noticed a teenage girl near his home in Springbrook helping out her dad and his imagination did the rest.

It’s been part of his live show for a few years now and it’s grown to be such a big hit among fans, it’s been known to turn tough outback men into tearful, bumbling messes after John delivers it on stage.

John says he even gets a lot of people coming up to him after shows and saying they’ve got a "cydi".

In typical John Williamson style, the term "cydi" is even filtering through as a part of Australia’s outback vernacular.

"It’s more common than I ever imagined it would be.

"I received an email from a fan telling me there’s already a girl on the south coast of New South Wales called Cydi.

"I thought you beauty.

"I’m glad I’ve contributed to someone’s name."

Despite Hillbilly Road’s success, John is already looking forward to his next crop of Aussie ditties.

He tends to road-test them on his various tours, which is how Cydi grew in stature.

He has about five tracks already tucked away for the next album, including a topic relevant to the current economic environment and the type of people affected by what’s going on.

"There’s one about a bushie sitting on the backyard porch," John says.

"His brother lost all his money – he blew it on the stock market.

"It’s a bit about the bankers lining their own pockets and p*ssing off.

"It’s pretty relevant to what’s happening today."

John returns to Cairns this Saturday night with friend and collaborator Warren H. Williams, an indigenous artist from central Australia who co-wrote and played on the tracks Pmarra Knatcha (My Home In The Bush) and Australia Is Another Word For Free.

"It’s more like theatre. It’s like sitting around a campfire telling yarns and singing,’’ John says

"That’s why it works."

>> John Williamson performs at Brothers Leagues Club this Saturday from 8pm with support from Warren H. Williams. To book, call Brothers Leagues Club on 4053 1053.

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