By KATH GANNAWAY
THE countdown is on to Healesville’s big 150th Birthday bash in November.
And with 150 years to celebrate, there is a push to make this event a year-long, whole of community celebration.
The scene was set when more than 70 people met at The Memo in August last year to brainstorm what a 2014 celebration might look like.
A mosaic of post-it notes revealed plenty of exciting ideas. A parade was a given. There was talk of fireworks, a 150th Ball, sporting events, arts projects, events re-creating Healesville’s history, a music festival and much, much more.
Community 3777 threw out the challenge on the night for the whole town to be involved.
“It’s very important that the whole town feels that they are part of this,” 3777 chair Kath Holton said and a look over the steadily growing calendar of events indicates that that message is on target (but with room for more).
Groups such as the Healesville Chamber of Commerce, the Yarra Valley Film Society, Healesville Football Club, the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway and the Healesville Amateur Racing Club are just a handful of local organisations who have thrown their individual hats into the mix.
There are more, and the plan is that as momentum and excitement continues to build, there will be more and more groups celebrating 150 years of living history.
The Coranderrk Festival set the ball rolling in March, celebrating and commemorating Healesville’s Indigenous heritage with a festival of music, dance and culture for the whole community.
On 11 March history boards were launched at the Badger Creek Old School Building that tell the story not only of the school, but reflect on one of Healesville’s outlying communities and Badger’s part in the bigger picture.
Between 8 and 23 November there will be an explosion of events, activities and exhibitions showcasing the culture, lifestyle, landscape, people and talents of the Healesville community.
Other activities on the calendar to date are the Yarra Valley Open Studios in September and the Healesville Heritage Ball on 7 November.
The Yarra Valley Film Society and Golden Watters are looking to run a film event and are seeking historic footage from Healesville’s history along with photos, movies and stories from which to create a 150th film.
The 150th Street Parade on Saturday 8 November is a work in progress, but is rumoured to be heading toward ‘amazing’ and ‘spectacular’!
On the same weekend the Healesville Heritage Festival at the Railway Station on 8 and 9 November will be a showcase of local heritage from the early days to the recent past.
Living with Waterways, a creative performance paying tribute to the last 150 years of Healesville’s connection with creeks, burns and other waterways is on Saturday 15 November while the Healesville Music Festival will fill venues throughout the town with class local and visiting acts from 14 to 16 November.
Keep the diary open … Healesville Historic Picnic Races will be the perfect place to relax and enjoy a sport that has been part of the fabric of the town for decades.
To find out more, to get involved, to get inspired go along to the Healesville150 community workshop at the Healesville Senior Citizens Hall at 7pm this Thursday, 3 April.
For more information visit the website Healesville150.org
