Heritage Festival to light up Town Hall Facade

Published on 16 April 2019

The 2018 Town Hall Facade Heritage Projection

The Heritage Festival gets underway on Thursday, with a huge list of events and activities scheduled for the coming two weeks.

The Festival will begin with a heritage walking tour (10am, VIC) and art exhibition (6pm, 24 Bromide Street), before the official launch at 7pm behind the Town Hall Facade on Thursday night.

The launch event will again see the historic Town Hall Facade bathed in colourful light, with a selection of historical images from the city's Outback Archives to be projected onto the rear of the building.

The display will be totally different from last year, and will also include a Sam Byrne artwork “BHP Mine and Viaduct”, reproduced courtesy of Michael Byrne.

Heritage Committee Chair, Mayor Darriea Turley, said she hoped to see a good crowd in attendance again for this year's colourful launch.

"The illumination of the facade and the historical slideshow were very popular last year, we received lots of positive feedback last year," she said.

"It's just breathtaking to see such an historic building lit up so vividly, and the projection show combined with old-time music at the rear of the facade really takes you back to yesteryear.

"It really brings the whole area to life, and we hope to see lots of families come along on the night."

Coffee, cake, and slushies will be available from Fake’n Baked throughout the launch event.

Another highlight on the Festival calendar is the newly added reunion dinner for current and former mine workers and unionists.

The dinner will be held at the Civic Centre from 7pm on April 24 and will provide an opportunity for locals to reconnect with former colleagues.

"This is already shaping up as a great night, and if the interest continues to grow and there's a demand for it, we could even look at making it a recurring event as part of the Festival each year," said Mayor Turley.

Those seeking more information on the reunion dinner or wishing to purchase tickets can do so online.

Tickets are $60 per person and include canapes and a two-course meal, and drinks will be available for sale on the night.

Other Heritage Festival activities include museum tours, exhibitions, historical presentations, a multicultural Easter celebration at the Napredak, and much more.

For a full list of events please see Wednesday and Thursday's edition of the Barrier Daily Truth, or visit https://bit.ly/bhheritagefest19.

(Please note that vehicle access to the Town Hall Facade carpark will be unavailable until 1pm Sunday, April 21. Traffic control measures will also be in place in Argent St until April 20.)