Granddaughter’s song for Malcolm Fraser to benefit asylum seekers

The legacy of The Camellia Tree

The Camellia Tree, the song written by the granddaughter of the late Right Honourable Malcolm Fraser, upon his death earlier this year, will now be released to the public on Saturday 1 August with all proceeds going to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, where Mr Fraser was a Patron.

The song is a musical tribute to the life and legacy of Australia’s 22nd Prime Minister from Hester Fraser, who performed the song at his State Funeral in March this year. The Camellia Tree – currently available for pre-order  will be released on Saturday 1 August for digital download via platforms such as iTunes and GooglePlay under Hester’s professional stage name Goldheist.

Trained in Composition at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Hester Fraser is now a dedicated singer, pianist, composer and performer. With a growing following as Goldheist, she released her debut single Dust, and recent pop track Dragons. Her music speaks with poignant accuracy and cinematic lustre.

 “He was a global man, and, to me, it made sense to communicate my very personal experience of him, both as my grandfather and as one of Australia’s strongest voices for disenfranchised people around the world, through music – the most universal language of all.”

 A decision by the Fraser family will see proceeds generated by the sale of The Camellia Tree go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, Australia’s largest provider of aid, advocacy, legal and employment services to people seeking asylum. Mr Fraser was very committed to the goals and principles of the ASRC, offering his sustained support of their work in recent years. In the words of Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO of the ASRC:

 “Today I lost a friend. A champion of our refugee movement. A man of great principle and integrity. We walk in the shadow of a giant. We grieve today. The sky has lost its sun. We honour him tomorrow by continuing his legacy of building a compassionate Australia.”

 Filmed in the Glebe Justice Centre, an official music video for The Camellia Tree produced by Grand Illusions, a Sydney based filmmaking company, can be seen here.

Recent reviews of the song can be seen here, here and here.

 

Share Button
Leave a reply