2021 Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival
Organiser, Len Banks
The eighth Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival invites Orange and surrounding communities to enjoy events showcasing the wonderful entertainment of Australian Bush Poetry.
This year’s festival will run from February 13 to 21, celebrating local heritage and the fascinating bush poetry of Banjo Paterson.
Although COVID restrictions have prevented the committee from holding national events and ensured a smaller program, it’s promised there is still so much fun to be had!
The Festival will include several events at which poets can perform and compete as well as entertainment at Molong, Yeoval, Borenore, Millthorpe and Orange for families and visitors.
This year the committee have an emphasis on their Youth Poetry competition.
Organiser, Len Banks says, “This year’s poetry competition is specifically for Primary and High School students, with entries closing on 10 February.
“It like to encourage kids to write their poems now whilst they are on school holidays. What we want the kids to do is to tell their story through poetry, kids have got a lot of talent in that respect. They don’t have to be long poems, but tell a bit about their life, whether it be what they did on holidays, their pets, their friends, it can be any topic.
“In the past our Youth Competition has been growing, last year we had a good roll up.
“It helps to reinforce Orange’s connection with Banjo Patterson, he gives us an insight into our history, our culture, way of life back in the 1800’s-early 1900’s. I think it’s the sort of poetry that anyone can read, it’s got a rhyme, it’s got a rhythm and it tells a story.
‘I always look forward to the poetry competition, it shows originality, the diversity of the way people can put words together. There’s quite a range and it’s all good family entertainment.”
The performance competition will be held on Saturday morning 20 February at the Orange Ex Services Club.
The Molong Advancement Group is hosting a poetry brawl on Saturday 13 February for adults and youth. Peter Batten from Molong says, “The community is right behind this fun filled event in which people will compete with original poems of no more than one minute. It will be held at the Freemason’s Hotel.”
The community is also invited to Yeoval to witness the unveiling of a 3m tall bronze sculpture of Major Andrew Barton Patterson – a major project at the Yeoval Banjo Paterson Museum.
The Festival will also feature the regular favourite events of the poets’ brunch at Yeoval, twilight celebration of Banjo’s birthday in Orange, the Wrath of Grapes at Heifer Station Wines, Poetry on the Pavers and Rotary’s market day as well as a visit to the historic Boree Cabonne homestead.
A full program of events and entry forms can be found at the Visitors Information Centre, or head to Orange360 online. All events will have a COVID plan and there will be a requirement to check in.
For further enquiries please contact Len on 0428 459 117