Paul Kelly’s Post at 40: the album in which a future star found his voice

In 1984, Paul Kelly, struggling financially after his band's breakup, inspired by a song he'd heard, wrote "From St Kilda to Kings Cross," which became the opening track of his third album, *Post*. Collaborating with Paul Hewson and Steve Connolly, the album tackled themes of addiction and personal struggle. Despite not charting, it recouped recording costs and laid the groundwork for Kelly's future success. The album's dedication to Hewson and its reflective, haunting songs established Kelly as a key Australian singer-songwriter, despite initial failure.