Cornish traditions and heritage will be celebrated on Thursday 5 March when Cornish descendants gather in Ballarat to celebrate their Paton Saint, St Piran.
St Piran's Day is the national day of Cornwall. It is held on 5 March every year and is named after one of the patron saints of Cornwall, Saint Piran, who is also the patron saint of tin miners. A Cornish flag raising ceremony will be held to celebrate St Piran's Day at Queen Victoria Square, opposite Ballarat Town Hall, at 11am.
Cornish immigrants played a major part in the early development and prosperity of Victoria. They brought skills on which the early settlement of Ballarat was dependent. This included mining skills - with an influx of engineers and mine managers.
A Cornish Festival will be held from 5-9 March in Ballarat, attracting Cornish descendants from across Australia. It will feature activities including a coach tour, dinner, displays, a heritage church service at the Skipton Street Uniting Church and a walking tour of Mount Pleasant.
