BLACKTOWN CITY HISTORY
History of the Blacktown City Festival
by John Horne
Last month the splendid Blacktown City Festival took place and was enjoyed by thousands . Its Medieval Banquet , Medieval Faire , Vibes by the Lake , Sweet Indulgence Dessert Festival , a parade and Streets Alive were a hit . It also had sporting and cultural events which attracted crowds of visitors and participants . Local history tours showcased many of Blacktown City ’ s important heritage sites and the annual Reconciliation Walk and Gathering was also held .
Festivals in Blacktown City are not a modern phenomenon ; it has had a variety of events and celebrations since its beginnings as a shire in 1906 . There have been New Year ’ s Day celebrations , Australia Day parades , ‘ Back to Blacktown ’ events and Empire Day in May .
Coronations for new monarchs including King Edward VII , George VI and Queen Elizabeth were used as excuses for community celebrations .
The Blacktown City Festival as we know it , can be traced back to the 1975 celebration called The Festival of the Crafty Bunyip . This small event was run to highlight the work of Blacktown ’ s art and craft groups ; activities included theatrical , dance and musical groups as well as visual arts and all other kinds of crafts . The venue was the Village Green near the Civic Centre .
It has grown in to the modern , day long Blacktown City Festival which spreads over the main streets in the commercial business district . Blacktown City Council has always been the prime sponsor .
Highlights of the Crafty Bunyip Festival and Blacktown City Festival
1975 - The first Crafty Bunyip Festival , with a grant of $ 6000 from the Australia Council , was held in October .
1979 - The date was brought forward to June from October . The festival attracted up to 100,000 people who watched the largest street parade in western Sydney . Larger than the Festival
Advertising for the Festival of the Crafty Bunyip 1979 . ( Source : Blacktown Memories ).
of Sydney Parade , it started at Blacktown Hospital and travelled along Main Street , Patrick Street and Alpha Street . This was the year the stunt went wrong .
As part of the celebrations , stuntman John McNeil jumped from the top of the Civic Centre in Flushcombe Road and broke his back 30 metres below on the ground . The cardboard structures that were meant to stop his fall safely , failed to protect him .
The parade , led by the NSW Mounted Police , comprised more than 110 groups and floats , including Blacktown Council , Nock & Kirby ’ s , Westpoint , Mt Druitt Square , Blacktown Workers ’ Club , the SES , Bushfire Fighting Brigades , playgroups , schools , sports and pony clubs , church groups , HMAS Nirimba , theatre groups , Scouts and Girl Guides , Riverstone Chamber of Commerce , Cumberland Press and many bands . Wilma the Witch and Blacktown Bill entertained the children . On the Sunday the third Blacktown Advocate- Apex Fun run attracted 1,200 competitors who completed the 12km course .
1981 - The festival was first called The Blacktown City Festival and was used to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first Blacktown Shire Council Meeting in the Rooty Hill School of Arts Building in 1906 . On Saturday 17 June Blacktown Council awarded HMAS Nirimba the Freedom of the City and 1,100 officers and ratings marched through the City with bayonets fixed and drums beating . Over 5,000 Blacktown residents were responsible for the stalls , floats and parade participation .
1985 - The Festival events were washed out by very heavy rains .
1986 - New South Wales Premier , Neville
Wran , opened the festival which was said to be the best ever . Rear-Admiral David Martin , took the salute as the naval force from HMAS Nirimba marched past the official dais . A tethered hot-air balloon hovered over Flushcombe Road .
1989 - Very wet weather did not stop the festivities or the parade . NSW Premier Nick Greiner watched the festival parade sheltered under an umbrella . Ashton ’ s Circus was based at the showground and the special events , the fireworks , the massed bands presentation of the 1812 Overture and other musical acts were transferred to Nurragingy .
1996 - The State Governor , Gordon Samuels , and the Mayor of Blacktown , Michael Corbin with their wives led the festival procession in a horse-drawn glass carriage .
1999 - The RAAF Roulettes opened the street parade with a spectacular flyover and aerial acrobatics .
2001 - As part of the Blacktown City Festival , over 100 competitors took part in the Great Billy-Cart Race at Rooty Hill . Ages ranged from five to 60 and hundreds of people crowded the hill to watch .
2004 - Clowns , bands and more than 69 festival floats made the parade one of the best in living memory with over 200,000 people attending . The week-long festival ended at Rooty Hill with free rides , entertainment and
A local resident , Patricia Parker OAM , Blacktown ’ s first Community Arts Officer , was instrumental in launching the Festival of the Crafty Bunyip in 1975 . Under her tutelage and with the help of many other locals and council officers the festival began , and eventually it became the Blacktown City Festival ( Photo Source : Blacktown Memories ).
A street parade celebrating the new Queen , Elizabeth II , in Main Street , Blacktown in 1953 .
a monster firework display on the Sunday . 2008 - Jeannie Little performed her one woman show and a special re-enactor event , Gunpowder and Fire Power was held at Nurragingy .
2009 - The first
Medieval Fayre was held at Nurragingy . 2013 - Top performance poets and storytellers gathered at the Royal Cricketer ’ s Arms , Prospect . X-Factor finalists performed on stage .
2017 - An ice-skating rink on the Village Green and The Wiggles performing were two of the feature attractions . 2020 – Event cancelled due to COVID . 2021 - A smaller ticketed event took place at the Rooty Hill Olympic Park . 2022 - A post-COVID Blacktown City Festival Streets Alive and Parade returned to Blacktown CBD .
2024 - The Blacktown City Festival continued
Over the years the Festival of the Crafty Bunyip and the Blacktown City Festival have highlighted the multicultural nature of the city .
As the area has grown and developed , the participants in the parades , the nature of the stalls in the Streets Alive Festivals , and the performances on the various entertainment stages and venues have changed to match the growing cultural diversity of our city .
Next year the Blacktown City Festival celebrate fifty years since the inaugural Festival of the Crafty Bunyip in 1975 .
Blacktown City Festival parade participants 2018 .
Blacktown and District Historical Society Incorporated
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10 ISSUE 39 // JUNE 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT