Born in New Zealand, Morton was Australian country music’s first star.

Kiwi artist Aly Cook travelled to the festival to perform, and brought along the crew for a new television series she is hosting, called Kiwi Country, which will start screening in New Zealand in May.

Aly interviewed some of Australia's more prolific bush balladeers and personalities of country music including Chad Morgan, Max Ellis Johnny Greenwood and Graham Rodger, about Morton’s impact on Australian country music.

Aly said her personal interest in the man regarded as the father of Australian country music began when one of her songs featured on a Sony Music Country Music compilation called Godzone Country which also featured Morton's Mandrake.

Aly performed Mandrake as a guest on the 2015 Roll of Renown Concert where Lee and Ray Kernaghan were inducted.

While researching his life she found parallels with her own life.

Both came from her hometown Nelson, where she still lives, near the northern coast of New Zealand’s South Island.

"I would love to see Tex honoured in his hometown in the same way Tamworth has honoured him,” Aly told Talkin’ Country.

Morton came to Australia as a teenager in the early 1930s to pursue his dream of a life in show business, and in 1936 he recorded his first commercial records at Regal Zonophone’s Homebush studio. 

Initially his style was similar to hillbilly music that was being recorded in America, but he was the first artist to perform bush ballads when he introduced uniquely Australian content into his lyrics.

Both Aly and Morton are currently featured in the country section of an exhibition called Volume at Auckland Museum covering the history of NZ Music.

However, Aly said there is little acknowledgement in his hometown by comparison. “Including him in this TV series, I hope, will be the beginning to help make that happen. Watch this space.”