BATHURST might be well known for its motor racing circuit, but there's one thing that is just as important - it's heritage.
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Throughout March, April and May, Bathurst will celebrate its position as Australia's oldest European inland settlement with the Autumn Colours Heritage Festival and the Heritage Trades Trail.
The Heritage Trades Trail is one of the festival's most iconic events, paying homage to the trades and traditions that have helped shape the region.
To be held at the Bathurst Showground, the event will run across both Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17, where patrons can rediscover rare or lost trades such as blacksmithing, saddlery, dry stone walling, whip cracking, lace making and carpentry, to name a few.
But the trail is just one of a number of events happening throughout the festival, with a number of activities and tours taking participants behind the scenes of some of Bathurst's most significant attractions and areas.
"There is a fantastic range of tours on offer, exploring anything from the All Saints' Cathedral and the ever-popular cemetery wanders to a range of walks and tours in our beautiful villages," Bathurst mayor Jess Jennings said.
"The tours of the Carillon are a special highlight. These were all fully booked in 2023 and are sure to be popular once again."
Dive into Bathurst's rich history
FROM tours of iconic buildings such as Abercrombie House and the Bathurst Court House, walks through the villages Rockley, Sofala and Hill End and journeying through Bathurst's rich rail history, there's plenty to see during the Autumn Colours Heritage Festival.
Throughout the festival, there'll be a number of guided tours through the Perthville Convent Heritage Centre.
Sister Alice Sullivan said the convent has a rich history that's worth exploring.
"The convent at Perthville was established in 1872 and it was originally the first convent in NSW for the Sisters of St Joseph," she said.
"Its purpose was education. There was a boarding school here for many years and when MacKillop College was built, it became a residential section of the school.
"Our place was to bring as many women in the area together for Catholic education."
Mary MacKillop, who became the first Australian to be recognised by the Catholic Church as a saint, was a co-founder of the Sisters of St Joseph and spent time at the convent in Perthville.
The other co-founder was Julian Tenison-Woods, with his surname being adopted as the name of a nearby street in the town.
Sr Alice said it's crucial for Bathurst to appreciate its heritage.
"If we don't, we have lost so much," she said.
"Our history is very important to preserve."
She pointed to the history that's already at the Perthville convent, including the cemetery that has 240 sisters buried there, including the sisters who have worked through the diocese and given their lives to "make sure that the world was a better place".
The tours of the Perthville Convent Heritage Centre will be held on Saturday, April 20, and Saturday, May 11, with one already held on Thursday, March 14.
Tickets are $15 per person, and bookings via the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre on 1800 68 1000 are essential.
Festival wants to break more records
The Autumn Colours Heritage tour program in 2023 attracted a record attendance of 1132 over 37 tours and activities, with the majority of attendees being from the local community.
Last year's Heritage Trades Trail also recorded the highest attendance at the event since it was first held in 2017, with 2984 over the two days of the event, with over half attendees from outside the Bathurst local government area.
A program of all heritage tours are available online.
The Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail will run from 10am-4pm, with tickets $20 online or $25 at the gate.
For bookings, call the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre on 1800 68 1000.
