Gulgong's Henry Lawson Festival

A COLONIAL era festival in June concentrates on the period's jollier aspects with a chance to learn about one of Australia's literary icons too.

Escape henry lawson

ANYONE who imagines there's any connection between tourism and reality should be worried at the thought of a colonial-era festival.

Old-time mining towns weren't gardens of delight. At such a festival, you'd expect to sleep in a tent, wash from a bucket and dine on stale damper and beer.

You could riot with Chinese miners, get run over by a stagecoach and, as in the famous poem The Drover's Wife, contend with black snakes.

Certainly Henry Lawson didn't think much of pioneer life in the 1870s. He hated growing up in the goldfields and presents a dark vision of the bush in his later works.

Fortunately, the delightful little town of Gulgong ignores the realities of the colonial era and concentrates on its jollier aspects.

During the Henry Lawson Heritage Festival between June 8 and 11, old tractors and steam engines, coughing like trolls, trundle down the street.

Women in bustles ride along in sulkies and top-hatted men doff their lids. Kids buy old-fashioned gobstoppers and race billycarts.

As life in colonial times goes, it's very enjoyable and, as a bonus, you can learn more about one of Australia's literary icons too.

Lawson spent most of his childhood in and around the Mudgee area, including Gulgong, which he refers to many times in his short stories and poems.

"In the first 15 years of my life I saw the last of the Roaring Days on Gulgong goldfield. I remember the rush as a boy might his first and only pantomime," he once recollected.

The experiences and sights of those early years would profoundly influence Lawson, whose writings are crammed with descriptions of hardy pioneer women, miners, drovers and itinerant travellers.

No wonder he holds a special place in Aussie folk culture. Gulgong's Henry Lawson Centre gets plenty of visitors. It's a small museum with an impressive collection of original manuscripts and first editions.

There are even items salvaged from the Lawson family home, such as an old flour bin that inspired a poem.

Wall displays take you through Lawson's life, from his birth in 1867 to his literary career and his death in 1922, when he was honoured with a state funeral.

It's interesting to chat to the volunteer guides about Lawson's political concerns, such as women's emancipation, workers' rights and the establishment of an Australian republic.But there's plenty of less serious fare during the festival period, such as a Poet's Morning Tea with visiting bush poets at Gulgong's historic Prince of Wales opera house.

Throughout the festival, you can admire pavement art, listen to community singers and bands, join bush dancing and try old-time games with primary-school children.

Twelve downtown blocks are closed to traffic, bringing Gulgong even closer to its 19th-century original.

This is already one of Australia's best-preserved colonial towns, with an impressive 150 buildings of historic significance.

During the festival, shop windows along central Mayne St feature displays related to Gulgong's history.

There are also street markets, antique displays, music from Gulgong schoolchildren and a food fair.

There are more festivities at nearby Red Hill, where payable gold was first discovered in Gulgong, including blacksmithing, dog trials and shearing.

The writer was a guest of Mudgee Region Tourism and Destination NSW.

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GULGONG

Getting there

Gulgong is about 295km northwest of Sydney via the Great Western Highway (M4) and Castlereagh Highway. Aeropelican has daily flights from Sydney to Mudgee, 26km south of Gulgong.
Visit aeropelican.com.au, ph 1300 668 824.

Staying there

The Telegraph Station is a reconstruction of the original. Its interior houses two comfortable, well-appointed, self-catering accommodations (a two-bedroom apartment and a studio). Visit gulgongaccommodation .com.au, ph 0439 928 524.

Eating there

The Muse Brasserie has hearty, pretension-free meals that make good use of fresh local produce and wines. Visit themusebrasserie.com.au, ph 6374 2687.

Doing there

The Henry Lawson Heritage Festival is annual and this year runs June 8-11. Henry Lawson Centre is open year round.
Ph 6374 2049.