It wasn't able to happen last year due to COVID-19, but the annual celebration of Bathurst's rich heritage will return next month to showcase the past in the present.
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Bathurst Heritage Week will run from May 1 to 9, with a host of activities planned throughout the week to recognise numerous facets of the region's past.
Heritage Week coordinator Sandy Bathgate said the initiative, which has occurred annually since 2014 [last year aside], promotes the importance of Bathurst's rich history and heritage to a wider audience.
"Bathurst is Australia's oldest inland European settlement, and has 40,000+ years of Wiradyuri heritage prior to that, it's something no other Australian city or town can claim," Mr Bathgate said.
"We have over 1000 heritage buildings, many of which are colonial-era houses, but also several public institutions, commercial and civic buildings, which are always worth preserving and promoting."
The week will include a host of activities unique to the initiative, such as night stays at Abercrombie House and guided walking tours of various city blocks, before culminating in Proclamation Day celebrations by the Macquarie River.
Also included in the program is the Festival of Bells, a brand new festival to celebrate the now fully complete Bathurst War Memorial Carillon.
"Stuart Pearson and his team are set to start capitalising on the Carillon as a prime heritage asset, and I'm pleased to see it partner with Heritage Week, it has the potential to grow," Mr Bathgate said.
"There will also be an event for the "rev heads", with car and motorcycle enthusiast Geoff Fry to provide a presentation on Bathurst's motor racing history at The Greens On William, a prominent heritage venue in itself."
Mr Bathgate said Heritage Week plays a prominent role each year to highlight the role of heritage offerings in bolstering economy and culture.
"These offerings bring a huge amount of tourism dollars to Bathurst each year and behind Mount Panorama, heritage is the uppermost thing in the minds of visitors when they visit this region," he said.
"The welcome attendance at the recent Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail only supports this fact."
For a Bathurst Heritage Week program, visit www.bathurstregion.com.au.
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