Stawell Gift: The impact of coronavirus on one of the biggest weekends for the town

This weekend is normally the busiest of the year for Stawell. And the costs of cancelling Easter events are not just financial, writes Bethany Griffiths.

Stawell’s Central Park at Easter 2019 vs 2020. Picture: Bethany Griffiths

THE main street is empty. The pubs are closed. And the hills of the famed Central Park are bare.

It’s Easter in Stawell – but it doesn’t feel like it.

For the first time since World War II, there is no Stawell Gift. 139 years of tradition will be put on hold as the world grapples with a global pandemic.

For athletes and fans, this equates to a major disruption in their training, their goals and their holiday plans. But for the region the costs will be immeasurable.

Mayor of the Northern Grampians Shire Council Cr Murray Emerson said the weekend without the usual plethora of events would be a huge blow to not just the economy but the community as well.

“The economy will get a really big hit given that there won’t be an extra 10,000 people here,” he said.

That means tens of thousands of us not witnessing Australia’s richest footrace, not heading down the highway to Great Western for the annual rodeo, not spending money in local shops and cafes, not getting dressed up and going to the Stawell races.

The Main Street of Stawell on Easter Saturday 2017. Picture: Karl Meyer

The Main Street of Stawell on Easter Saturday 2017 vs 2020. Picture: Karl Meyer

Most generations in this town wouldn’t have experienced an Easter without the Gift. It’s certainly a different kind of long weekend for me and my family, who have ties to the area dating back to the 1880s.

Instead of our Easter Saturday morning consisting of sightings of well-known runners, we were lucky to get glimpses of any people. Our weekend walks around town were broken up by local police ensuring we stayed far enough apart, rather than broken up by running into old school friends or teachers. The atmosphere of anticipation and sounds of starting guns in the air has been missed this year, but we know it’s only temporary.

Like many other towns who have had events called off because of coronavirus, Stawell remains optimistic about the future. Mere months ago, the future of the event was questioned and the support that followed proved how vital the event is for the town.

Cr Emerson warned of a tough year for the town with the focus on keeping everyone healthy and safe, but acknowledged that Stawell will always be the home of the Gift.

“Unfortunately this year will be disastrous for businesses but hopefully there’s many more Easter Gifts to come,” he said.

Bethany Griffiths is a reporter for The Weekly Times