Im a big fan of Mario Milo the best Ausie prog I have heard.I believe his original band is called Winterchase or something like that.

I have only heard a bit of their material at this point but The Grand Silent System seem to lean in the Prog direction.  They are based in Melbourne and with any luck they will start to tour with new material a bit later this year.  Check out their website at http://www.thegrandsilentsystem.com - www.thegrandsilentsystem.com

It will truely feel like a 'massive desert' if we loose the Ashes.

Australia has never had a noticeable prog scene, perhaps due to the fact that most bands are only able to do Pub gigs - where wider exposure rarely eventuates from.  Even Alan Holdsworth was relegated to perform at a Pub in Sydney some years ago. Same is true for Jackie Orszacky, one of the most skilled bass players here, whose - sometimes prog oriented - projects can only be seen at suburban Pubs. Sebastian Hardie (not a person) was the name of Mario Millo's band and their albums are now available on CD.

It's worth checking out ABC Radio National's more interesting programs like:"Music Deli", "Live on stage", etc., where streaming audio offers the pleasure to hear the odd gem. Full marks to ABC on that!

I was fortunate enough to reside on the North Coast of NSW for many years and the alternative scene - especially at Byron Bay - served up a few pleasant surprises. Other than that the odd, spontaneous jamming fills some gap, but for that one needs to be at the right place at the right time.

If you happen to be in Sydney visit "Red Eye" Record Store in the City. They have a credible selection of all genres and - dependant on who is behind the counter - one could ask for a professional input. Another source is Glen A. Baker's "Timewarp" Store (also in Sydney). He is a walking encyclopedia and if anyone could offer advice, I couldn't think of a better person. (I assume that both establishments would have a Website, you may need to do some surfing on that.)

Pushing the boundaries here a bit, I just recalled a few Australian bands worthy of attention. They all have a number of albums released, many of which are a valued part of my collection. 

Firstly, TRIBAL TRANCE. Spacey, flute, drum, didg, grunt oriented of a rather spiritual nature, performed by a bunch of barefeet ferals. Very engaging! 

KANGAROO MOON is laid back, often improvised, largely keyboard, vocal driven that also tend to appeal to alternative lifestyle people - like myself.

From the jazzier end, DIG (Directions in the Groove) is world class material. 

Folks,

Thanks for all the responses. I will check out some of the bands listed. I agree the pub scene limits the growth of Prog Rock locally.

S Lang mentioned "Red Eye Records" in Sydney, which I have bought many CDs (King Crimson, ELP, etc) and DVDs from (e.g. Steve Hackett Live).  There is also a new shop, JB Hi Fi in Westfield Chatswood, that has a good "Alternate Rock" and Heavy Metal/Hard Rock selection holding cds by Porcupine Tree, etc. Was a good find - for those in the vicinity.

Having spent my uni days in England in the mid-70s, it is heartening to hear bands like Glass Hammer, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theatre, Mostly Autumn continuing the style into the current era. Play it loud.