On the weekend of 3/4 May 2025, SERG supported the Generations in Jazz Festival near Mt Gambier. The Festival involves about 4000 students in music competitions and has been held for many years, growing ever stronger. Trumpeter/Musician James Morrison was an important catalyst in promoting and supporting the event, especially in its early days. It started small in 1987 and was supported by the Secondary Schools of the Lower South East. More schools wanted to be involved and it has now grown into a huge event drawing from schools across South Australia and Victoria.
Here’s an extract from the GIJ website
Mount Gambier, in South Australia’s Limestone Coast, is Australia’s hotspot for this high-energy sound – largely thanks to a unique annual event called Generations in Jazz (GIJ).
Established in 1987, this spectacular gathering on the outskirts of the city, made famous for its Blue Lake, not only attracts the jazz legends of today but also the bright stars of tomorrow.
Generations in Jazz holds a special place in the jazz culture of Australia, where one generation of brilliant musicians inspires the next, and aspiring musicians get a taste of life as professional musicians. It’s where like-minded individuals gather to learn from each other, study, and perform.
The South East Radio Group (SERG) provides the communications for the event and this is facilitated by the addition of our portable repeater (VK5SR) that enables excellent signals across the very large site. The members of SERG fulfill an important coordination of activities but also a safety umbrella in the event of unforeseen happenings.
All those handhelds are to various places on the grounds, Kate has to manage all that at once. Maxwell VK5AC looking on in awe at the UHF DMR handsets. The SERG operators on 2M had the benefit of strong signals and the headsets.
Headsets were mandatory for those operators in the tents as the noise was huge.
Photos courtesy of Greg VK5ZGY and Tom VK5NFT