Get ready to embark on a journey through time as the Tamworth Regional Heritage Festival returns from Friday 19 April to Sunday 28 April, 2024. This annual festival will showcase the rich tapestry of our region's heritage, with a diverse array of activities and events taking place.
Launching the festival will be the biennial Tamworth Regional Heritage Awards. The awards recognise those who have made significant contributions to the preservation, sharing and promotion of heritage in the region. The ceremony will be held at the Tamworth Regional Gallery, where there is also the current display of the 'Navigating the Past' exhibition showcasing a collection of items from museums across our region.
Councillor Helen Tickle, Chairperson of the Tamworth Regional Heritage Working Group says "The Awards ceremony was last held in 2022, and we are simply delighted to recognise some of the works people have done since that time. It's a good way to kickstart the festival, where people can then go and learn about our heritage through the many activities on offer".
Throughout the festival people can expect to see guided tours and talks, a behind-the-scenes exploration at Calala Cottage, a heritage walk along Marius Street, daily exhibitions, open days, the running of Stationary John Fowler Steam Engines and never-before seen footage captured at Newcastle's Factory in Hamilton, home of the Electric Lamp Manufacturers (Australia), showing the process of creating incandescent lamps.
Council's Museum Operations and Visitor Engagement Officer Naomi Blakey, said "This is really a very exciting opportunity for the Powerstation Museum to be bringing footage from Newcastle's factory to Tamworth. The footage was captured in 2002 before its closure, so it's a rare opportunity to be able to showcase something like this".
Another of the festival's highlights will be a special performance by the renowned country music artist Pixie Jenkins, who will be performing and telling heritage tales against the backdrop of our historic surroundings at the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame.
