Heritage celebrated at Benalla festival

By Jay Bryce

May 8, 2023

Getting the party started: Beryl Ilsley cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the festival. Photo by Meredith Tolliday

The 2023 Australian Heritage Festival in Benalla was a resounding success, with more than 700 people participating in the 121 event hours held over five days last week.

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The festival, which took place from May 3 to May 7, was organised by 14 Benalla organisations and featured a range of activities, including cemetery tours, street walks, author and historian talks, and a sculpture walk at the wetlands.

One particularly noteworthy event was the “taking it to the people” initiative, which brought elements of the Heritage Week to old-care homes within the local community.

Bringing history back to life: The crowd at one of the cemetery tours.

The festival also included an after-dark event where 150 people lit up the Benalla Cemetery on Saturday night.

The theme for this year's festival was “shared stories,” and that’s exactly what participants got.

Benalla Family Research Group secretary Jane Rushworth said many people stayed to talk and share stories after the events finished, creating a vibrant buzz in the community.

The festival was run by volunteers and organised by the Benalla Family Research Group, which created the Benalla Heritage Network.

They said the success of this year's festival had left the organisers weary but very happy, and they were already looking forward to sharing the next Benalla Heritage Festival with visitors, hoping to continue to expand the festival.

With its focus on bringing the community together and celebrating shared heritage, the festival has become a highlight of the local calendar and a testament to the power of storytelling to connect people across generations.