As if to underscore the rift, this month has seen the formation of a new Australian Party by Bob Katter, a northern Queensland independent MP who is often ridiculed by city dwellers for his trademark tengallonhat.
Regulars here include America's leading house rocker, Junior Brown, who is recognisable for his ten-gallon hat and spiffy retro Fifties shirts, and yet another epic hometown guitarist, Jimmie Ray Vaughn.