Australian music legend Joe Camilleri has been the victim of a devastating home burglary, with nine of his vintage guitars and other personal items stolen from his home in country Victoria last week.
His bandmates in The Black Sorrows shared the heartbreaking news on social media on Friday, 4th July, asking fans and the wider music community for help tracking down the stolen collection.
“We’re asking the music fraternity to share this and let your local guitar resellers know”
Among the missing items are a 1975 Fender Strat, a 1990’s Gretsch Rock, and several vintage Gibsons, worth tens of thousands of dollars cumulatively.
“Joe’s home in the country was burgled this afternoon,” the band wrote on Instagram. “His prized guitar collection was stolen along with personal papers, Apple laptops and other household items… We’re asking the music fraternity to share this and let your local guitar resellers know. These are distinct instruments and will be difficult to offload.”
Here’s Camilleri’s full list of pilfered vintage axes for ref:
- 1975 Fender Stratocaster
- 1990s Gretsch Rock Jet Black
- 1954 Gibson Switchmaster
- 1956 Gibson L5
- 1990s Gibson J 200
- 2010 Map Guitar Airline reissue
- 1964 National Map Guitar (black)
- 1960 Gibson 330
- 1967 Gibson Les Paul (cherry top)
Anyone with info is urged to contact Kyneton Police on (03) 5421 2900.
The theft comes just a week after The Black Sorrows were announced on the 2025 Savannah In The Round lineup, joining a stacked bill that includes Zac Brown Band, Kasey Chambers, James Reyne, Daryl Braithwaite and more.
Festival director James Dein hyped up the band’s inclusion, saying: “Any time you have got Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows rolling into town, you know you are in for something great.”
Despite the setback, Camilleri and The Black Sorrows are also set to continue touring through the second half of the year, with their next show scheduled for Wyong’s The Art House on the NSW Central Coast on Friday, 29th August.
Further Reading
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