Before hitting the big time, the Bee Gees were travelling through Wagga when mechanical

problems struck, forcing them to stop at the Bartholomew family business, Wagga Car Repairs. While only children at the time, Robert, Deborah and Julie said their father had told them to get autographs because the three men would one day become famous musicians.

The family treated Barry, Maurice and Robin to sandwiches and tea while their Volkswagen,

stencilled with Bee Gees decorations, was being repaired.

In lieu of payment for the repairs, the brothers gave the family their first recording – Spicks and Specks with I am the World on the B-side.

Robert Batholomew said they were very polite young men.

“Mum and Dad talked to them for a long while and Dad loved music so he knew they were destined for bigger and better things,” he said.

“We knew fairly quickly after the Bee Gees became famous that we were lucky to have met them, and their music really inspired me and has had a strong presence in our family.”

Deborah Bartholomew remembered being very excited to meet the young band.

“We lived next door to the business and Dad came home to tell us these young guys were there and we should get their autograhs,” she said.

“Since then, we’ve looked up the history of the record they gave us and of course kept our old autograph books, which are pretty collectable now.”

The story of the Bee Gees and Wagga took another turn earlier this year when Barry Gibb was seen wearing a Wagga cap while at the Sound Relief concert in Sydney.