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By Michelle Manly

For a town of only 500 people, Surat in South West Queensland, certainly knows how to celebrate its culture.

'Surat was one of those small rural towns that was in a period of decline with the population dropping steadily since 1975. Then a few years ago the leaders of the town got together and decided they had to do something if the town was to survive,' says Marlyn McInnerney, Surat's Economic Development Officer

They decided to build up the cultural and tourism potential of the town. A new museum and art gallery was a significant part of the revitalisation, as well as the annual festival.

Every August since 1994, the town has celebrated with the Surat Cobb & Co Battered Bugle Festival, which commemorates the last run of the Cobb & Co Coaches in Australia from Surat to Yuleba, Queensland in 1924. Each year the festival features a re-enactment of part of the coach run and a wide range of traditional activities.

This year's festival will be bigger than ever. Scheduled for 12 - 15 August, its theme is Surat Celebrates 99 - A Festival of Anniversaries. Among others, three of the big events to celebrate are the 75th anniversary of the last Cobb & Co run, the 125th anniversary of Surat State School, and the 150th anniversary of the naming of the town site.

The town has received an $8 000 grant from Festivals Australia for the festival's planned Grand Parade of Lights. Project Coordinator, Neil Cameron is a theatre director and creator of community celebrations from Maleny, Queensland. Cameron and another artist will run workshops with the local community in the lead up to the festival, to design and build a large scale lantern and will advise on lighting parade floats to express the theme of the lights of Cobb & Co.

The large lantern will be 'about the size of an elephant and really beautiful,' says Cameron.

Neil Cameron's team will also run workshops in the school to help the students build lanterns of their own. They will be constructed from bamboo and paper with candles inside.

'The idea,' explains Cameron, 'is to help the community create beautiful images to highlight their festival theme.'

Depending on the outcome of the workshops, the parade may also involve sculptures with fire effects and street performances.

This year's festival coincides with an exhibition called Houses and Humpies being developed by the Surat Aboriginal Family History group. This exhibition has received $18 821 from Visions of Australia to help tell the stories of four Aboriginal families who lived in houses and humpies along the riverbank in Surat. The Aboriginal community will also be organising dancers on the riverbank.

'What's happening with all these events,' says McInnerney, 'is that the town is starting to become a tourist destination.

'With the festival and exhibitions we hope to build our sense of community. Surat is one of the oldest towns in Queensland and there are some families who have been here for three or four generations.

'It's also really important that the Aboriginal Family History group is actively participating, because they have such a strong sense of place. It's wonderful that these celebrations coincide so that all of these cultural traditions are recognised. What we're hoping is that eventually we will become known as one of the peak bush festivals in the country.'

Contact
Marlyn McInnerney, Warroo Shire Council 07 4626 5299
Department: Elizabeth Tupper, Arts Support 02 6271 1665 or email festivals.australia@dcita.gov.au

• Document ID: 11511 |
• Last modified: 5 February 2008, 6:06pm