Bendigo Easter Festival
The Bendigo Easter Festival, also known as the Bendigo Easter Fair, is an annual event held in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, since 1871 with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival includes the Easter procession which sees Dai Gum Loong, the world's longest imperial dragon, dance through the streets along with An extensive program of activities and attractions such as an Easter Egg hunt.
First fair
On 1 January 1871 discussion was held at the Shamrock Hotel regarding a fundraiser for the Bendigo Hospital and Benevolent Asylum. Representatives from the hospital, asylum and various friendly societies such as the St. Andrews Society, the Irish Australian Society, the Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity, and Independent Order of Rechabites were in attendance. At the time Bendigo was known as the Borough of Sandhurst. Mr. William Heffernan, licensee of the hotel, suggested a fair based loosely on the Donnybrook Fair of Dublin, Ireland which ran from 1204 until about 1868. He also offered the use of a room for meetings and £10 to kick off the fundraising effort. Heffernan and his business partner Mr. Hadley had previously established and run an Easter sports carnival in 1869 and 1870 known as the Sandhurst Easter Holiday Sports. The Easter Fair was initially known by several names, but by 1880 it was generally referred to as the Bendigo Easter Fair. The first Easter Fair was held on 10–11 April 1871. Originally it was held at the lower end of Pall Mall around the current site of the Conservatory Gardens and lower Rosalind Park, later moving to the old showgrounds, now the Tom Flood Sports Centre. The first Easter Fair raised £2560 through admissions fees. In its first 21 years the event raised £23,000 for the hospital and asylum.Easter Parade 1871
Procession
The first parade assembled at Market Square. It then moved to the railway station to receive the governor, proceeded down Mitchell Street, along Pall Mall to Mundy Street, up Mundy Street to Hargreaves Street, along to Williamson Street and dispersed at the Shamrock Hotel.The first procession featured the following:
- Grand Marshall, Mr. John Stewart Esq.
- Governor of Victoria, John Manners-Sutton
- Mayor and councillors of Sandhurst and Eaglehawk
- Members of the mining, shire, and roads boards and hospital and asylum committees
- Societies such as the St. Andrews Society, Irish Australian Society, Deutscher Verein, Rechabites, MUIOOF, and Grand United Order of Oddfellows
- Cavalry
- Fire brigade
- Music — bands and pipers
The Easter Fair Committee was initially elected annually at community meetings. The results were published after each Easter, following which the committee stood down and a new committee was elected the next year, often chaired by the mayor. In 1926 a permanent body to be known as the Bendigo Easter Fair Society was established. It was to be made up of 18 executive members — 3 representatives of the city of Bendigo, including the mayor, 2 from the borough of Eaglehawk, 2 from the benevolent asylum, 2 from the hospital and 9 from the community elected at the annual general meeting. It was also decided that the funds raised would be distributed 60% to the hospital and 40% to the asylum. The society was later to become a company in 1966 and an incorporated association in 1984. The society had ultimate control of the fair's operations until 2003 when insurance costs made it financially nonviable to continue. The committee was to remain as the core of a section 86 committee of council to direct the event's content and policy whilst council staff were to implement the practical aspects. The executive of the society still sits on the community consultative committee/reference group, an advisory body to council in the running of the fair. The Easter Fair Society, a volunteer group, still maintains its role as custodian and continues to operate elements of the fair. It was a major sponsor of the 150th Easter Fair in conjunction with its own group of sponsors and supporters, providing over $100,000 to the 150th anniversary event in 2020, which ended up being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the 1980s, the charitable nature of the festival was discontinued in favour of a focus on tourism. Many community groups such as the Rotary Club and Vision Australia still use the event as an opportunity to raise funds.