Garth Porter

Garth Ivan Richard Porter

(1948-09-24) 24 September 1948
Hamilton, New Zealand

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Musician, producer

Keyboards, vocals, piano (string, electric), organ (Hammond), clavinet, mellotron, synthesizers, saxophone

1969–present

Razzle/Festival

Early life[edit]

Garth Ivan Richard Porter was born on 24 September 1948 in Hamilton.[1] His parents were farmers in the nearby rural area.[2] He recalled that while growing up "I learnt piano for about six months so I had a rough idea of musical notation."[3] The future songwriter spent two nights a week at his grandparents home in Hamilton, "I'd walk there from work and from their place, I would walk to night school and I vividly remember I used to really look forward to my walks. As I was walking, the pace of my footsteps would be the rhythm of a song and I was just making up words and melodies all the time I was walking to my grandparents and then to night school."[3]

Early career[edit]

In 1969 Porter was a member of Swellfoot's Assembly while a student at University of Waikato, which included Marion Arts on lead vocals and Paul Baxter on bass guitar.[4][5][6] Later that year he was in Sydney and joined Samael Lilith alongside Daryl Braithwaite on lead vocals, Ray Ferguson on guitar and backing vocals, Mick Parker on bass guitar and flute (replaced by Bruce Worrall on bass guitar), and Greg Wilder on drums.[5][7] He left that group in the next year and was briefly a member of Toby Jugg, which issued a cover version of Amen Corner's "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" as a single in 1970.[4][8]

Later career[edit]

Porter initially had difficulty after the group's disbandment "I had a vague idea of a solo career, but not really, it was kind of there as an option but nothing that I really pursued... I found it really hard going as a songwriter, just out on your own in the middle of kind of nowhere. And especially the credentials of having been in Sherbet at that time were kind of, it was like having the plague really."[2]


He helped launch Lee Kernaghan and co-wrote some of the songs for the live Musical theatre production The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular (which toured Australian capital cities — twice). The Original Cast Album of the show won the ARIA award for Best Cast / Show Album).[20]

Personal life[edit]

In March 1975 Julie Kusko of The Australian Women's Weekly described his hobbies as furniture collecting, fishing and camping.[12] On 7 August 1978 Porter "married his long-time girlfriend" Mary Byrnes in Sydney.[21]


Porter is a producer, arranger, composer, mixer[5][16]


Porter plays keyboards, mellotron, organ (Hammond, Wurlitzer), clavinet, piano (string, electric, grand), synthesiser, vocals (backing, lead), percussion, harpsichord and saxophone.[4][5][16]

Awards[edit]

ARIA Music Awards[edit]

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music.

Garth Porter's stage costume for Sherbet at the Powerhouse Museum

Portrait details at National Portrait Gallery, Canberra