On Saturday September 26th there'll be fun and excitement in Grenfell with events and activities being held in the main street and around the town.

This festival provides you with the opportunity to step back in time and experience the life and times of the 1860's, when gold was first discovered in Grenfell.

2015 Schedule of Events (Downloadable Program)

Saturday 26th September

9am

Bush furniture making demonstration
Petting zoo featuring heirloom breeds
Live music by “Jason & Chloe Roweth”
Bushranger Artifact Display in the Community Hub
Rail history Display in the Community Hub
Saddlery Demonstration
Millinery Demonstration
Hand Spinning Demonstration
Blacksmithing demonstration
Gold Panning
Market Stalls
Cobb & Co Coach Rides til 1pm

9:30am

Bushranger Re-enactment “A Desperate Escape”
Historic Talk “Ben Hall’s Legacy” by John Donohoe in the Library

9:40am

Live music by “Jason & Chloe Roweth”

10am

Historic Talk “The Gold Escort Robbery” by Peter Bradley in the Library
Giant whip Cracking display with crowd participation
Wallangreen Sculpture Garden until 3pm
Historical Society Museum (Camp Street) until 4pm

10:30am

Historic talk “Who shot bushranger Micky Burke? Was it Ben Hall, John Gilbert, Commissioner Keightley or someone else?” Hear the evidence and join the debate. By Craig Bratby in the Library

10:40am

Live music by “Jason & Chloe Roweth”

11am

Historic Talk “Two Americans searching for Gardiner’s gold?” by Peter Bradley in the Library
Judging of the period costume competition in front of Community Hub.

11:30am

Historic Talk by Lawrance Ryan Grenfell Railway in the Library
Giant whip Cracking display with crowd participation

11:40am

Judging of Gold Fest Damper Bake Off

12pm

Live music by “Jason & Chloe Roweth”
Historic Talk “The history of Ben Hall’s station at ‘Sandy Creek’” by Peter Bradley in the Library
Free Guided Historic Walk Departing from the pedestrian crossing opposite IGA

12:50pm

Re-enactment “Shootout at Bang Bang Hotel Quandialla”

 

 

Sunday 27th September

10am

Iandra Castle at Greenethorpe until 4pm.

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Demonstrations

Blacksmithing demonstration by Barney Jeffrey

Jeffrey (Barney) Rogers is a fourth generation farrier and one of 14 family members associated with his company. Barney has been involved in the farrier business for most of his life. He has been a member of the Master Farriers Association for the past 27 years and has managed the family business of Rogers Horse Shoeing for 23 years. He has demonstrated an in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of industry practices, having a broad range of skills in a wide range of farriery related areas. Barney has worked at Richmond College for eight years and is the coordinator of farrier and blacksmith training.

Blade Shearing by Greg Bowman

 

Bush Furniture making by Brian Beasley

Brian Beasley makes bush furniture by hand without electricity or even glue, he even shuns shop bought wood. The former high school woodwork teacher spends much of his spare time finetuning his pioneer woodworking techniques. His creations include handmade tables and benches with spindly legs that make them look as though they're ready to crawl away. Most of his furniture is made from wood he has grown himself or tree branches salvaged from the roadside. He recommends working poplar or willow because of their straight grain, which makes them easier to work with. Brian is retired and loves to shares his pioneer woodwork techniques with others, frequently holding demonstrations and classes.

Gold Panning by Martin Byrne

Experience Treasure Panning offers all participants a hands on opportunity to feel the thrill of finding their own piece of Australia's historic mineral wealth - gold! After a short lesson on how to use the latest gold panning equipment, you are guaranteed to find gold, which you get to keep.

Hand Spinning

JEANNETTE KINGSTON - Spinner, knitter of hand-spun natural fibre garments, 'scrumbler' and strong advocate of the use of natural fibres, especially wool and alpaca. Also experienced in the art of dyeing fibre. Born in Grenfell, where she stayed till WWII intervened, Jeannette was - much later of course - taught by Rose Thomas of West Wyalong. She then extended and expanded her skills with a distinction in a 3 year Tech course at West Wyalong Tech conducted by Judy Myers of Grenfell, the founder of the Australian FibreCraft Co-Operative. Later there followed inspiration in the relatively rare but immensely colourful art of scrumbling from Prudence Mapstone and then Jeannette's own workshops in this technique. She also had a healthy dip into the weaving world, especially from a course run by well-known Australian weaver Marcella Hempel. She has been a continuous member of Bland Shire Spinners & Weavers for many years, as also, until recently, the Bathurst Spinners and a familiar pair of hands doing patchwork at Annie's Home Patch. With all of these Jeannette has at various times been a co-coordinator and workshop tutor for the NSW rural region Wool & Fibre Musters held in different towns, including once at Henry Lawson HS in Grenfell. These one day gatherings have been held nearly every year since their foundation in West Wyalong nearly 3 decades ago by her good friend, weaver, musician, thespian & all sorts Heather Hatch.

NYELVA CARNEGIE - Hand spinner of wool, felt maker, knitter. As well, as a retired farmer, grazier from the Lake Cowal area north of West Wyalong, and still a keen gardener, she has, naturally, acquired much inspiration from and appreciation of all things natural, including fibres. Amongst many other people who have successfully passed on their vision and skills to her have been the creative knitter Yvonne Newell. She enjoys hand-spinning merino and crossbred but also has discovered interesting ways of using mohair, silk and alpaca in combination with the wool off the sheep's back. Dyeing, using both natural and chemical methods, is also part of her repertoire. Nyelva was a Board Member of the Australian FibreCraft Co-Operative while it lasted. She was the first President of the Bland Shire Spinners & Weavers. Amongst other tutoring experiences with her peers, she has recently assisted a Year 12 HSC student in her rigorous Textiles & Design course with her major work, a felting project based on Banjo Paterson's famous poem 'The Man From Snowy River'.

Millinery by Bronwyn Guest

Bronwyn is a qualified Milliner, obtaining her Diploma of Millinery at Tafe NSW. She has been producing handmade individual hats for the past 2 years. Each hat is individually handmade, and when you attend the races or other formal gathering, you will not see someone else wearing your hat! She is greatly inspired by Miss Fishers Cloche style hats from the TV show "Miss Fishers Murder mysteries" and specialises in the older style elegant fashion hats. She does not do extravagant eccentric style hats.

Pin striping demonstration by Richard Bentley

Richard has been signwriting for 40 years and still enjoys designing and hand painting signs. All though the sign industry has developed a lot over the years, hand painted signs are still in demand, it's just not as easy to find someone to do them. Richard has many years experience in restoring, building, painting and lining horsedrawn vehicles, from viceroys to business vehicles all signwriting is all hand painted. Also motorcycle, cars and truck pinstriping.

Saddlery by Bede Aldridge

Bede Aldridge grew up with a love for horses and riding, working odd jobs until he had enough saved to buy his first horse. This led him on to more opportunities, and over the coming years Bede gained experience with breaking in, track riding, dressage, polocrosse, and stock work. Watching his father plait kangaroo belts first sparked Bede's interest in leather craft. Working with horses also gave Bede an understanding of how a well made saddle is an important element in the partnership between horse and rider. This gave him a desire to pursue the trade of a saddle maker and became one of the few apprentices in Australia, working under some highly renowned craftsmen in the industry.

Bede's dream was to master the trade of saddlery and then run his own business producing his own brand of saddles. In 2010 this became a reality when Bede, along with his wife Jemima, opened the doors to their current workshop in Dubbo, NSW with a focus on hand crafting high quality custom saddles and repair work. The first years of business gave Bede the opportunity to develop his personal, creative workmanship and it was only a matter of time before the saddlery work led on to Bede & Jemima designing a unique collection of leather goods based on timeless design and craftsmanship. This range includes belts, whips, briefcases, totes, bags, phone and iPad cases, book covers, and knife pouches. Bede and Jemima love working with their own hands and bringing a fresh, creative approach to local business. Saddler & Co is the result of their dream to keep the old trade of saddlery alive. Customers are given a friendly welcome and the rare opportunity to see a craftsman at his work, discovering how traditional skills meet modern day needs.

Whip Making Demonstration by Richard Taubman

I have been a plaiter and whipmaker since 1973 and in that time have made many thousands of plaited whips and belts from kangaroo leather and cow hide, specializing in very fine whips from 'roo hide with fancy plaits and names plaited into both sides of the handles. This type of very fine work can only be achieved by using the very highest quality leather tanned in a vegetable tan of Wattle Bark. In the beginning I tanned all my own leather but as the business grew I then had the large tanneries tan my hides for me. Over the years, by talking to other plaiters, I found a growing number of people that were unable to source the exact type and quality leather that they required. I then began supplying them with leather specially selected for their particular needs. I still continue to plait whips and belts but now a large part of the business is the supplying of top quality plaiting 'roo leather to other plaiters and whipmakers throughout Australia and overseas.

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Speakers

Craig Bratby

Craig has had a fascination with colonial Australian history for as long as he can remember. His book 'John Vane, Biography of a Bushranger' was launched in November 2013 and soon sold out. John Vane was a member of the Ben Hall gang of bushrangers. During Vane's membership of the gang they conducted some of their most audacious activities. Vane was the only member of the gang of 1863 to survive, surrendering to a priest near Carcoar. A review by Inside History magazine reported "This deftly researched and authoritatively written biography brings to life not only Vane's complex character and riveting exploits but also, essentially, his world". Craig is currently researching for the second edition of his book which will be available early 2015.

Peter Bradley

Peter Bradley is a descendant of Ben Hall's younger brother, Henry. He has a degree in history from Macquarie University and has a particular interest in the bushranging era of the 1860s. He grew up on a farm near Forbes not far from the place where Ben Hall was killed. He lives in Sydney with his family.

John Donohoe

John Donohoe wrote ‘The Hunt for Ben Hall’s Treasure’ after two years research into Australian Bushranger history. Johns presentation will cover the possibility that treasures from Hall is still to be found. Hall participated in over 600 robberies between 1862 and 1865 stealing weapons, cash, gold and jewellery. Although it can be argued that these items were given as rewards to the gang’s “bush telegraph” and harbourers, its though that these people were more likely paid in cash with the jewellery retained. Hall could not be weighed down by heavy saddle-bags if pursued by the police, so would have to stash these goods somewhere. When Hall was ambushed and shot dead by police on 5th May, 1865, he only had 74 pounds on him. Hall perished without leaving any indication of where the bulk of his assets were. ‘The Hunt for Ben Hall’s Treasure’ examines the likelihood that there were several caches of stolen goods, hidden by Ben Hall’s gang for later recovery. This book leads the reader on a real treasure hunt for “Bushranger Loot”, with examples of past discoveries along with listings of where further loot may lie hidden.