The Limestone Coast’s most famous exports: Kasey Chambers, Lachie Neale, Jenna McCormick

From a country music star to sporting elite competing on the world stage, meet the Limestone Coast’s 12 most famous exports who once called the region home.

Three of the Limestone Coast's most famous exports: Adealide Crow's AFLW coach Matthew Clarke, country music star Kasey Chambers and Matilda Jenna McCormick. Pictures: Kelly Barnes/Getty Images, Image/Peter Lorimer, AAP Image/David Mariuz

What do a country music star, two Brownlow Medallists, a world champion surfer andHome And Away actor have in common?

They all once called the Limestone Coast home.

Hailing from Millicent, Mount Gambier, Naracoorte and beyond these are homegrown heroes the region can claim as their own.

The Mount Gambier News has rounded up the Limestone Coast’s 12 most famous exports.

KASEY CHAMBERS

Country music singer-songwriter

Kasey Chambers during Cold Chisel's The Blood Moon Tour 2020 concert at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Picture: AAP Image/Peter Lorimer

Born in Mount Gambier surrounded by country and roots music, Kasey Chambers grew up to become a global country music star and ARIA Hall of Famer.

She released her first album The Captainin 1999 but it was the second that made her a household name with single Not Pretty Enoughlanding her at the top of the pop charts in Australia.

Now living on the NSW coast she spent 2020 off the grid taking time to write what will be her first album since 2018’s Campfire and will slowly return to the stage, set to play Byron Bay’s All-Australian Bluesfest at Easter and her first solo headline show in over a year in Melbourne in March.

JESSICA STENSON (NEE TRENGROVE)

JACK TRENGOVE

Olympic marathon runner and former AFL captain

Jessica Trengove after running the Women's Marathon at the Olympic Games in London in 2012. Picture: AAP/Dave Hunt

Jack Trengove at Port Adelaide. Picture Sarah Reed

Jessica Trengove’s passion for running was ignited in her hometown of Naracoote and she has fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming an Olympian.

She made her marathon distance debut in Japan in 2012 – the fastest ever by an Australian women – qualifying for the London Olympic Games where months later she ran her second marathon, crossing the line in 39th place.

Two years later she became an Commonwealth Games medallist claiming the bronze in Glasgow and the mum of one has not ruled out another Olympic or Commonwealth Games appearance.

Brother Jack Trengove became the youngest captain in AFL history at the age of 20 when Melbourne named him co-captain with Jack Grimes in 2013.

The 2009 number 2 draft pick played eight injury-plagued seasons at the Demons before he was cut and claimed by Port Adelaide only to be delisted in 2019.

LACHIE NEALE

AFL player and Brownlow Medallist

Lachie Neale poses with the Brownlow Medal at the Gabba during the 2020 AFL Brownlow Medal. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Hailing from the tiny town of Kybybolite, Lachie Neale was once told he was too short to play elite football.

That did not stop him being drafted by Fremantle at pick number 58 in 2011, debuting the following season or moving to the Brisbane Lions in 2019 where last year the 27-year-old was the crowned runaway winner of the 2020 Brownlow Medal.

Neale grew up playing basketball, cricket and soccer, first pulling on the footy boots at the front oval at Naracoorte South and then for the Kyby Tigers where he was considered a hometown hero long before he became a Brownlow Medallist.

EUAN DOIDGE

Musical theatre performer

Euan Doidge as Felicia staring in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Picture: Tait Schmaal

From Millicent to centre stage Euan Doidge always dreamt of life in the spotlight.

Undertaking much of his training in Mount Gambier, he left the region at 17 to study musical theatre in Melbourne where his big break, in A Chorus Line, earned the then teen a Helpmann Award nomination.

Since then Mr Doidge has performed a leading role in the hit musical version of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, stared as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever and was most recently in ‘Pippen’ The Musical– the first musical theatre production after the pandemic shutdown the industry.

NATALIE MEDHURST

Former Australian Diamond

Natalie Medhurst for Collingwood during the Round 14 Super Netball. Picture: AAP Image/David Crosling

Moving to Millicent at the age of three, where her parents were the local publicans, Natalie Medhurst grew up playing sport but admits she did not like netball and only took it up because her friends were playing.

She began her 17 year professional career with the Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2004 before blowing the whistle last year while on maternity leave from the Collingwood Magpies.

Medhurst made her international debut in 2007, representing Australia on 86 occasions and going on to win three Netball World Cup gold medals, one Commonwealth Games gold medal, one Commonwealth Games silver medal and six Constellation Cup titles.

GAVIN WANGANEEN

Former AFL footballer and artist

Gavin Wanganeen with some of his art work at home. Picture: Matt Turner

Two-time premiership winner, member of the AFL Hall of Fame and the first ever Indigenous Brownlow medallist and 300-gamer, Gavin Wanganeen was born in Mount Gambier.

The former Essendon and Port Adelaide footballer retired from the sport a decade ago and originally struggled to adapt to his new life.

Now, the descendant of the Kokatha people is a contemporary Indigenous artist taking inspiration from his culture’s strong connection to country, the night sky and stories in the stars.

MATTHEW CLARKE

AFLW coach and former AFL player

Adelaide AFLW coach Matthew Clarke. Picture: Kelly Barnes/Getty Images

Celebrated AFL ruckman Matthew Clarke once lived in Mount Gambier, playing basketball for the Mount Gambier Pioneers and football for West Gambier in the Western Border Football League where he quickly rose through the ranks.

First drafted by Richmond but delisted without playing a senior game, his playing career spanned 258 games between Brisbane, Adelaide and St Kilda.

The qualified vet has been assistant coach at the Crows since 2008 and took on the role of AFLW head coach in 2018 leading the club to a premiership in 2019.

SCOTT COLEMAN

Street artist

Street artist Scott Coleman, aka KAB101, on site at Commerce Place in Mount Gambier. Picture: Mount Gambier Council

There are not many people who have a street named after them Scott Coleman, otherwise known as KAB101, is one of them.

The street artist spent almost two decades painting graffiti murals on Honeysuckle Lane in Prospect before it was named KAB101 Lane and is well-known for his large scale murals featuring his trademark calligraphic style.

He began his artistic career as a teenager in the 1980s working with the Riddoch Art Gallery on street art projects to activate laneways in Mount Gambier and returned to the city late last year to add a new mural in Commerce Arcade.

JENNA MCCORMICK

Dual-sport athlete

Australian Matildas defender Jenna McCormick. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Raised in Mount Gambier Jenna McCormick grew up playing junior soccer for Blue Lake SC and taking on the boys with the football at recess and lunch.

The now 26-year-old made her debut for Adelaide United in 2012 and was drafted to the Adelaide Crows in 2016 going on to become a dual AFLW premiership player.

After juggling careers in the W-League and AFLW and debuting the Matildas in 2019 McCormick chose to be placed on the Crows’ inactive list for the 2020 season to focus on soccer with her sights set on the Olympics.

MICK FANNING

Surfer

World champion surfer Mick Fanning.

Long before he became a world champion surfer, Mick Fanning learnt the basics at Browns Bays at Eight Mile Creek.

He went on to win the 2007, 2009 and 2013 ASP World Tour and in 2015 survived a shark attack during the J-Bay Open finals in South Africa.

The experience left psychological scars, but also ignited a burning curiosity and five years on he purposely got up close with a great white again to film two-part documentary Save This Shark.

JACK ELLIS

Actor

Mount Gambier actor Jack Ellis on A Place To Call Home. Picture: Supplied

Mount Gambier born Jack Ellis got his big break on Australian television drama A Place To Call Home alongside Australian icon Noni Hazlehurst.

The NIDA acting graduate and qualified teacher’s credits include the 2020 film Sweet River, guest roles on Home And Away and the lead role in the off Broadway world premiere production of Adam Rapp’s, Wolf In The River.

JESSICA BRAITHWAITE

Musician and weather presenter

Jessica Braithwaite in her Feel This Way video clip released in 2020. Picture: Supplied

She may be best known as Adelaide Channel 9 weather presenter but Jessica Braithwaite spent her Mount Gambier childhood chasing rabbits in the neighbour’s paddock and whizzing down hills on her brother’s home made go-kart.

The mum-of-two is also a musician with her first solo release Feel This Waydebuting in the top 200 iTunes Australia chart last year along with a satirical video clip highlighting the realities of mum-life.

It’s not her first foray into music, she was previously on vocals for indie pop, south east band Gemini Downs which performed at Big Day Out in 2013.