Organisers of the Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival are calling for a volunteer committee to co-ordinate an event in Canowindra as part of the 2024 festival.
In 2024, the Banjo Paterson Poetry Festival will be expanding to encompass various events throughout the Orange and Cabonne regions, and Canowindra will host a unique festival experience to coincide with this important Australian poet’s birthday celebrations.
The Festival begins with a celebration of Banjo’s birthday on Saturday 17 February 2024 and runs through to Sunday 25 February 2024. There will be around 20 events over that time and at least seven opportunities for walk-up performances in pubs, wineries and open air breakfast.
This year, Canowindra will be involved in this festival and is looking for volunteers to come forward to be a part of the organising committee for a special event to be held in Canowindra.
Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson was born in Orange on 17 February 1864. The Orange community celebrated the 150th anniversary of his birth in 2014 with a community festival. Since then, Orange has run the annual event.
Each year, the Rotary Club of Orange partners with Orange’s tourism organisation – Orange 360, the Orange and District Historical Society, the Yeoval community and the Councils of Orange, Cabonne and Blayney to celebrate Australian poetry. This celebration, the Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival includes events in Molong, Yeoval, Millthorpe, Cargo, Canowindra and Orange.
Included in the festival program is an Australian Poetry Competition for poets reciting their own original poetry, displays and activities at Yeoval in conjunction with the exhibition “Banjo Paterson – more than a poet”.
There is also a breakfast and poetry in the Civic Centre precinct, along with birthday celebrations taking place in Orange.
The Orange program for the Festival will also once again feature the popular poetry competition for poets to perform their own original poem. Entries close on Monday 12th February 2024 and the competition will be held at the Orange Ex Services Club on Friday 23 February 2024. The categories include:
• Youth for school students (Primary School and High School students in separate categories) to perform their own original poem.
• Adult Novice performance competition for those poets who have not won a poetry performance competition.
• Adult Open performance competition for poets to perform their own original poem.
A program of events is currently being developed and will be available in September.
The special event to take place in Canowindra is still being formulated and worked on, and the committee is calling on community members to take part in the organising and the delivery of this significant event.
If you have an interest to help coordinate, love poetry and have some unique ideas to celebrate this iconic Australian, please email: editor@canowindraphoenix.com.au for more information.