Historical information

Sandhurst Trustees Bendigo Easter Festival.

The aim of The Bendigo Easter Festival is to increase awareness of, and attendance at the Bendigo Easter Festival amongst regional, intrastate, and interstate audiences by 2006.

Bendigo Easter Festival - Australia's oldest festival ... .... ..

Gold, gold, gold. The year of 1871 was a great year for Bendigo. Parks were laid out, trees lined the streets. Although acknowledged as starting in 1869 the Easter Festival was considered an annual event by 1871.

Under brilliant illumination the whole of the Camp Reserve (now Rosalind Park) was filled with a bewildering variety of groups, exhibits and individuals all eager to be involved in such a worthwhile cause. There were sports meetings, theatricals, bazaars and instrumental items as well as dancing and carnival rides. On Easter Monday, as it is today, there was a grand procession that included a variety of bands.

1871 also marked the first year that the Chinese joined in the festivities. Originally the Chinese participated in the procession by dressing in richly embroidered costumes, and carrying colourful banners in all shapes and sizes, which were specially made for them in China.

In 1889, the Chinese were given their traditional place in the Parade, the end. They created a wonderful spectacle with their colourful costumes, banners and flags, and in 1892, Loong, the dragon appeared. The Bendigo Easter Festival had been fortunate in that it bad such a lively Chinese community in its midst.

At the time of course, Bendigo was known as Sandhurst, and it was not until twenty years after the first Easter Festival that the town was known as Bendigo. These days with sponsorship from the Sandburst Trustees, the Festival is known as the Sandhurst Trustees Bendigo Easter Festival.

132 years later, the Sandburst Trustees Bendigo Easter Festival has had many changes. But loyal followers have never been disappointed. This year people saw the traditions upheld with family entertainments and not Loong, but Sun Loong, meaning new dragon, a 100m long Imperial Dragon who was created to take the place of the aging Loong.

Physical description

Sandhurst Trustees Bendigo Easter Festival Administrative Documents, Logo, Constitution and Rules

This Item includes the following Documents:

11213.1a1 Sandhurst Trustees Bendigo Easter Festival - Part of Logo

11213.1a2 Sandhurst Trustees Bendigo Easter Festival - Pamphlet Design

11213.1b This document outlines the constitution and rules of the Bendigo Easter Fair Society as adopted on November 4th, 1926.

11213.1c This document outlines the Current Focus as of 2003, and Target Market Festival Goals. The main aim is to increase awareness and attendance among regional, intrastate, and interstate audiences.Market InsightsRecent surveys provide a breakdown of the current audience and highlight the importance of the local market, as well as areas for further development.

11213.1d This document outlines the management agreement between the Greater Bendigo City Council and the Bendigo Easter Festival Committee of Management. It Establishes the roles and responsibilities of the Bendigo Easter Festival Committee under the authority of the Greater Bendigo City Council. It Operates pursuant to Section 86 of the Local Government Act 1989, which allows councils to delegate certain functions to committees. The Committee is formally recognized as responsible for managing the Bendigo Easter Festival, ensuring compliance with council policies and relevant legislation. It Sets out the structure for oversight, accountability, and reporting between the Committee and the Council.This agreement provides the foundation for the Committee’s authority and operational guidelines in managing the festival.

11213.1e1 CD Contains three banner files - this one is 900 x 900 eps
11213.1e2 CD Contains three banner files - this one is 1800 x 1800 eps
11213.1e3 CD Contains three banner files - this one is 1500 x 1000 eps