PRESS RELEASE: Piece of Powderfinger history goes under the hammer for Queensland Youth Charity
Jon Coghill’s touring and recording drum kit to be auctioned by Abbeys Auctions, with all proceeds supporting Lookout 07
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – 31 August 2026: Australian music fans will have the rare opportunity to own a genuine piece of Powderfinger history when drummer Jon Coghill’s personal Pearl drum kit goes under the hammer at Abbeys Auctions on Thursday 10 September at 7pm, with all proceeds from the sale going to Queensland youth charity Lookout 07.
This isn’t simply a signed piece of memorabilia. It is a working drum kit Coghill played, toured and recorded with during one of the most successful periods in Powderfinger’s career.
“I got this kit from Pearl and Col Gillies in the late ’90s and toured and recorded with it from about 1999 to 2008,” Coghill said. “I used it on Odyssey Number Five and Vulture Street with a variety of other kits. Mostly I used this kit for touring from 2000 to 2007.”
The kit was also Coghill’s main touring kit for Powderfinger and Silverchair’s landmark Across the Great Divide Tour in 2007, which brought two of Australia’s biggest rock bands together for a major national tour. It also carries a connection to both bands, with Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies playing the kit nightly for one or two songs during Powderfinger’s set on the tour, according to Coghill.
Describing it simply as “a beast of a kit,” Coghill says it delivers a “massive clean sound with heaps of bottom end.”
The Pearl kit features a 13 x 9-inch rack tom, 16 x 16-inch floor tom and 24 x 16-inch kick, all eight-ply, together with a 1970s Slingerland timber snare which Coghill describes as sounding “deep and beautiful”. Its’ cymbal set-up includes 14-inch New Beat hi-hats, a 17-inch K Custom Dark Crash, 20-inch K Ride and 20-inch Oriental Crash of Doom.
For Powderfinger fans and Australian music collectors, the kit provides a tangible connection to a defining period in the band’s history, including the era that produced Odyssey Number Five and Vulture Street.
Melbourne-based Abbeys Auctions Director Hugh Farrelly said the team was thrilled to have the opportunity to offer such an important piece of Australian music history as part of Abbeys’ Premium Vinyl & Music Auction. “We’ve developed a strong following for our Premium Vinyl auctions and have an established track record of bringing significant and collectable music pieces to auction, so Jon’s drum kit is a fantastic addition to this sale,” Farrelly said.
“This is a genuine piece of Australian rock history. It was there for an extraordinary period in Powderfinger’s career – in the studio and on the road – and now fans and collectors have the opportunity to own it.
“Most importantly, every dollar raised from the drum kit will support Lookout 07. We’re incredibly proud to be able to use our auction platform and our community of music collectors to help Jon raise funds and awareness for a cause that means so much to him.”
Coghill is an Ambassador for Lookout 07, a Queensland-based charity supporting young people aged 12 to 25 through a safe and inclusive environment where they can access support, connect with others and build confidence.
The organisation provides services including counselling, mentoring and fitness activities, with a focus on supporting young people experiencing mental health challenges, isolation or disconnection.
For Coghill, putting a significant part of his own musical history under the hammer provides an opportunity to turn its value to collectors and fans into meaningful support for young people.
All proceeds from the auction of Coghill’s drum kit will go to Lookout 07.
The drum kit will be the first featured lot in Abbeys Auctions’ Premium Vinyl & Music Auction, giving Powderfinger fans, musicians and music collectors throughout Australia the opportunity to bid online.
AUCTION DETAILS
Jon Coghill’s Powderfinger Drum Kit – Supporting Lookout 07
Auction: Premium Vinyl & Music Auction
Date: Thursday 10 September 2026
Time: 7.00pm AEST
Auctioneer: Abbeys Auctions, Melbourne
Bidding: Online for viewing and bidding from 31 August,
Proceeds: All proceeds from the drum kit donated to Lookout 07
More details: https://abbeysauctions.com.au/powderfinger-drumkit-for-lookout-07/
