Community
14 August, 2026
A tribute to home
A MUSICIAN with connections to both Camperdown and Cobden has paid tribute to his hometowns through a music video accompanying his latest single.
Dan Unwin, who performs under the name Leslie D King, moved back to the Camperdown area after spending 10 years living in Melbourne to raise his young son alongside his wife.
Originally from Cobden, Mr Unwin said he felt the move inspired him to take a step back and appreciate his surroundings.
“I thought, given the time of life that we’re in, it really suited the meaning of the song – taking a step back and really enjoying what you have,” he said.
“I thought what better place to do it than home, so I shot the video around the south west.
“I went around to different spots in both Camperdown and Cobden, and I found some really nice spots I’d been on walks in before and spent a lot of time in.
“Up at Lake Bullen Merri, I spent a lot of time swimming as a kid, and definitely as an adult as well.
“We went to places that really gave me a bit of a trip down memory lane.”
The music video features a number of well-known locations in Camperdown, including Finlay Avenue, the Theatre Royal, Hampden Hotel and Lake Bullen Merri.
Mr Unwin said the single, Gold, focuses on finding the little pieces of gold in your everyday life.
“I feel like, as people, we’re pretty driven to what’s next, and I feel the world asks us of that all the time,” he said.
“This was a real reminder just to step back and really take it in.
“I feel I really have learned that myself in the last couple of years.
“Moving back here, I’ve got my close family around with my mum and dad up the road in Cobden and my wife’s parents are here in Camperdown.
“It’s just been a really nice change of pace from being up in the city where it was all hustle and bustle.”
Mr Unwin also credits the south west region with his start, having played his first gig when he was 14 at a pub in Mortlake with a cover band.
“I played in cover bands for a few years and then I had a local band – Crossfire Hurricane – where we wrote and recorded all our own music,” he said.
“We moved up to Melbourne to play and that went for a few years.
“When I was about 25, I started Leslie D King, which is what people are hearing now.
“I’ve still got the band up there and have been playing in Melbourne and around the state.
“This single is the first release off an album which will be released in 2027, so this is just the beginning of many release to come.”
Mr Unwin said the music video was a “tip of the hat” to the place where he grew up.
“I just hope people can take a bit of pride,” he said.
“When I was 18 and leaving Cobden to go to the big city, I never really thought I’d be back.
“But here I am, and I’ve never been happier.
“I really hope my music can represent that.”
Read More: Camperdown, Cobden