Thorpe was an established star by that time, for backed by his band The Aztecs, he boasted several number one hits including Poison Ivy, Over The Rainbow, and I Told The Brook.

It was quite a show, for supporting artists were Tony Barber, Lyn Randell, Colin Cook and Little Gulliver.

Tickets were $1.55 and $1.25, and bookings could be made at Legge's Record Bar in Junction Street.

Garth Legge recalls that having his staff handle the bookings helped record sales, and this was certainly the case on the day when Billy Thorpe came to sign autographs.

One wonders the impact of another major entertainment that came to the School of Arts during World War I.

Bert Bailey's Comedy Company presented On Our Selection, described as two hours of fun and laughter, on May 19, 1915.

The Shoalhaven Telegraph observed "it was seldom that such a tip-top company visits Nowra", and the locals had the choice of tickets for two, three or four shillings.

Another world war had come and gone when Jimmy Little emerged as a popular performer in the Shoalhaven.

A bright future was predicted after his appearance in a Bomaderry concert aged 15, and the following year he gained 6,500 votes to come second in a heat of the radio talent quest, Australia's Amateur Hour.

During the late 1950s and early sixties he appeared on various occasions at Nowra School of Arts with other artists including Frank Ifield (then an unknown) and Johnny Devlin (perhaps at the height of his career).

Five years before he became a household name with his hit I Remember You, Ifield was well down the list of performers headed by Jimmy Little on October 4, 1957 at the School of Arts.

They were part of Ted Quigg's Western and Comedy Show with Buster Noble providing the laughs; coming out of Quigg's radio program that was featured on 2SM and 2KA.

Slim Dusty had a hit with A Pub With No Beer in 1958, but it was still a favourite number when he brought his variety show to the School of Arts in February 1964.

Hush was still regarded as a rising talent when it appeared at the Bomaderry Basketball Stadium in January 1974.

The group had risen to prominence when it was a State finalist in the 2SM Hoadley's Battle of the Bands, and had enjoyed a couple of minor successes, but it would be mid-1975 before Bony Moronie reached the top 10.

In retrospect, another major pop music event for the Shoalhaven occurred in January 1976 when Sherbet performed at the Ulladulla Civic Centre and the Bomaderry Basketball Stadium.

This group released Howzat just four months later, and in July this record took the number one spot that had been held for 15 weeks by Abba's Fernando.

In more recent times, licensed clubs have taken over the sponsorship of performances by some big names, but many residents recall with pleasure the concerts in the historic School of Arts.