Heritage Festival

In its second year the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Heritage Festival will take place over the second week of the April school holidays, from Monday 8th April – Sunday 14th April. With something on each day of the week, the local community and visitors have lots of interesting events to choose from to learn about our area. There is a mix of exhibitions, guided walking tours, museum openings, high teas, concerts and even Yoga in a heritage space. The theme for this year’s festival is Connections.

The Bridgetown Pottery Restaurant and Tearooms will host an exhibition “The Gallery That “Never Was” 1986 – 2020” focusing on the private and public fine arts and multimedia that have graced the walls over 34 years. From 10am – 2pm running from the Monday to Sunday.

Available every day of the festival also is the popular Bridgetown History Walk by Richard from the Bridgetown Historical Society. Tickets are half price for the festival, and bookings essential, see online event listing or trybooking.

On Tuesday 9th, The historic and beautiful Maranup Ford Garden will have a guided tour and talk with a Devonshire Tea from 9.30 – 11:30am and again Friday 12th, bookings essential

Tuesday night you can experience Yoga with a Heritage Twist provided by Christine Ashbil inside Maslin House, the Bridgetown Pottery Restaurant, preceded by a talk on the heritage of the area and the house.

On Wednesday 10th the Bridgetown Historical Society will lead a Cemetery Walk, exploring the stories of Bridgetown characters who left their mark on the town.

The Bridgetown Police Station Museum and the Greenbushes Discovery Centre will be open on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and are great places to learn about the area

Friday 12th being an Open Day for the Greenbushes Discovery Centre, with Free Entry. If you have ever wanted to take a look inside, now is the chance.

There is also an event for the youngsters with Heritage Rhyme Time on Wednesday morning at the Bridgetown Library.

On Thursday 11th the Bridgetown Art & Craft Centre will open their doors, showing heritage craft skills of weaving, looming, knitting and many more. All are welcome to come and learn these popular crafts and items will also be for sale and will also open on the Saturday 13th.

On Saturday 13th in the morning the WA Bushfire Museum will extend its opening hours and will have Vintage Firetruck Runs through the town at 10.30am and 12.30pm. Did you know that this is the only Bushfire Museum in the state? Come and see the great work that volunteers and workers do to keep us safe.

A popular event last year was the Bridgetown Jigsaw Gallery Open Day, which will take place again on the Saturday with free entry into the gallery. If you haven’t come in a while, take a look at what the voluntary committee has been up to which is a popular tourist destination for Bridgetown. Come and hear their plans for the future.

In the afternoon, who wouldn’t want a lovely High Tea in the Valley, with the Bridgetown CWA cooking up a treat in their clubhouse on Hampton Street. Book in to not miss out.

The night wouldn’t be complete without some Heritage Sounds at St Paul’s, which will see a talented group of musicians coming together for a night of delight in the beautiful 113-year-old Anglican Church. Get your tickets early as this will feature Morgan Remaj (Classical Guitar), Jadon Dale (Classical Piano), The Dale Family, Dale Kerber (Organ), The Sisters of Corn (Harmonies) and Daun Crozier (Poet). Bookings essential on humanitix.

Wrapping it all up is a chance to see the Warren Blackwood Chapter of the Veteran and Classic Car Club of WA Classic Car Show and Parade who will drive through both Bridgetown and Greenbushes showing those curves of cars of a bygone era.

There are so many reasons to celebrate heritage in the area of Bridgetown-Greenbushes. When we start to understand the history, we can learn to care for our natural, built and cultural history with a deeper sense of meaning. Tourists also appreciate learning about a place through its history, and it can make their experience more memorable. There is always more to learn and heritage skills are making a comeback. We are lucky to have so many artisans selling products and returning to these ways of creating that leave a light footprint on the earth. You only have to walk down the Bridgetown main street to see these skills in action through our talented local businesses. Try to explore something new this heritage festival, if you live in Bridgetown, maybe you haven’t been to the Greenbushes Discovery Centre, and if you are in Greenbushes, maybe this is your chance to visit the Police Station Museum. It is what connects us together that makes us stronger, our stories intertwined to create the unique place, that we call the Heart and Soul of the South West.

Karen Hill