Coronavirus: heaven is a place on Earth for true-blue Aussie legend John Williamson

With his performance of Cootamundra Wattle, John Williamson is the latest Aussie star to grace our Isolation Room video series.

Singer-songwriter John Williamson at his Springbrook property in the Gold Coast hinterland. Picture: Luke Marsden

Near the end of one of John ­Williamson’s most popular songs, the country singer-songwriter makes a simple but profound ­observation: “Heaven’s all around us if you’re looking / How can you see it if you cry?”

The song, Cootamundra Wattle, appeared on his 1986 album, Mallee Boy, and was written a few years after he discovered the property near Springbrook, in the Gold Coast hinterland, that he and his wife Meg call home.

“I don’t believe in heaven, but I believe this is heaven for me,” says Williamson, 74. “I can’t imagine anywhere that could be more ­interesting. It’s a very creative place: I’ve got rocks to work with, I can paint, I can write songs — and I’m determined to plant more tallowwood for the koalas, ­because we have a healthy population here.”

On a hilltop that overlooks a densely wooded valley, Williamson sat down with his guitar for a unique and moving acoustic performance for The Weekend Australian’s Isolation Room, a video series starring top musicians and artistic performers recorded at their homes.

“It’s kind of sad and positive,” he said of Cootamundra Wattle. “My whole life, what brings me joy is just being in nature, amongst the bush. The song is a reminder to make sure you take in what’s around you, and that’s what our place up here is all about. Yesterday, I saw three glossy black cockatoos, and I went crazy — I hadn’t seen one up here before, they’re quite rare.”

Williamson joins the likes of Kate Ceberano, Tim Rogers, Brian Cadd and soprano Nicole Car, all of whom have performed for ­Isolation Room this week.

After five decades in the public eye, Williamson this year was intending to scale back his relentless national touring schedule by completing a final lap of Australian theatres and halls, with a view to play only festivals and special events from 2021, as well as his ­annual Willoshed concerts, held on one weekend each winter at his Springbrook property.

The spread of COVID-19 put paid to those plans. Away from his fans, Williamson is relishing an ­extended chance to get his hands dirty on his 69ha property. His ­latest project is a stone wall to keep out cattle.

As many older Australians have found, though, one downside of social-distancing is that he can’t see his grandchildren.

“I think the separation thing is the way to go,” Williamson says. “We might be the country that does curb it, if we keep it up.”