One of my campaign platforms, when I decided to run for council, was to promote Goldfields' tourism.
We all know Dunolly is a great place to visit – we have wonderful history, bush tracks, scenery, cycling trails and of course, the gold, with prospectors making up a large part of the tourism market. Prospecting has seen a huge resurgence of late with a younger generation taking up this often lucrative pastime.
One of my focus areas therefore, was seeing if the Dunolly Goldrush Festival could be resurrected. This huge event first appeared in 1971 and ran for many years before petering out. The Dunolly and District Incorporated (DDI) also decided that it was time for the festival to start up again, mainly to promote tourism to the town, increase visitors to the region and improve economic outcomes for local businesses. They have set their sights on 2022 and were successful in obtaining a $2000 Community Grant from the Central Goldfields Shire Council to put towards this.
Preparations are now in full swing and the Prospectors and Miners Association Victoria (PMAV) will be holding their AGM in the Town Hall on the Saturday. It is anticipated this event alone will bring 200-300 members to the town.
Saturday night will feature the Dunolly Music festival at the Dunolly Golf Club with camping available, for a small fee.
Sunday will be the festival itself, in Gordons Gardens and will feature 'Everything Gold' with market stalls, kids rides, activities, music, food, car & motor bike club displays and the sale of merchandise. Local traders in Broadway are also busy planning for the event and have a few things in the pipeline.
If you haven't already, put Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd October in your diary because this will be an event not to be missed!
