The Moondyne Festival is a festival held in
Toodyay, Western Australia
Toodyay (, nys, Duidgee), known as Newcastle between 1860 and 1910, is a town on the Avon River in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, north-east of Perth. The first European settlement occurred in the area in 1836. After flooding i ...
, celebrating the life and times of
Moondyne Joe. It is held annually on the first Sunday in May. This festival takes place in the main street,
Stirling Terrace, with street theatre, market stalls, and demonstrations. During the festival, the town is described as being transported back in time.
The festival features costumes from the 19th century, street theatre involving the character of Moondyne Joe, street stalls, and displays of art and antiques.
Other characters portrayed include the "Swagmen" (Moondyne's gang),
temperance
Temperance may refer to:
Moderation
*Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
*Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion
Culture
*Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...
ladies, the undertaker, and the barber.
History
The Moondyne Festival was first held in 1984.
In 2002, the Moondyne Festival was part of the national Year of the Outback celebrations. In 2011, the festival was scheduled to be opened by the
Governor of Western Australia
The governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of the monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. As with the other governors of the Australian states, the governor of Western Australia performs constitutiona ...
,
Ken Michael.
The Moondyne Festival was nominated for and a finalist in the 2012 Perth Airport Events & Tourism Award. It was also nominated for a 2013 Heritage Award. In 2014 the festival received funding from the State Government Regional Events Scheme. It was one of a number of regional festivals to benefit from $40 million (over four years) of funding from
Royalties For Regions
Royalties for Regions is a political policy formulated by the National Party in 2008 which involves the redirection of Western Australian state government spending from the major population centres, particularly Perth, into the rural areas of th ...
.
See also
References
{{reflist
External links
Moondyne Festival home page
Toodyay, Western Australia
Festivals in Western Australia