The Sunbury Pop Festival, held between 1972 and 1975, attracted top Australian and New Zealand acts like AC/DC, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Daddy Cool and Skyhooks.

International bands like Queen and Deep Purple also performed.

Last week, John Fowler, one of the organisers of the pop festival, spoke to members of the Sunbury Rotary Club.

Mr Fowler, who at the time lived on the Mornington Peninsula, recalled that he wanted to offer young people of Victoria access to high-profile acts.

"When I raised the possibility of a festival on a larger scale, the peninsula community wasn't interested."

That's when he came in contact with George Duncan and his wife Beryl, who lived on a farm in Duncans Road, Diggers Rest.

"George was a peaceful man, drawing on his pipe while considering the question, 'Could a pop festival be organised on your farmland'?" Mr Fowler said. "His response, 'Yeah, that'll be OK'."

The festival attracted about 30,000 people the first year.

Mr Fowler said one of the highlights was "opening the gates on the first night and seeing hundreds of fans arrive".

The festival ended in 1975 when the company running it went into liquidation.

Mr Fowler now lives in Lake Boga and operates the Lake Boga Observatory and Bogarts glass studios.