CHIMNEY sweeps and pram-pushing nannies will flock to the Fraser Coast’s Maryborough this month to pay homage to Mary Poppins.
The fictional nanny’s creator, Pamela Travers, was born in Maryborough in 1899. And every year the town celebrates its link to the Mary Poppins author in a 10-day festival dedicated to the magical babysitter.
You can parade your finest hat and umbrella to dash a pram to the finish line in the Great Nanny Race, or brush up on your cleaning skills in the Chimney Sweep Challenge.
The festival was started by the Proud Marys, an international association for women whose name contains Mary or a derivative. The organisation was formed in 1999 in Maryborough by a small band of volunteers determined to raise the profile of the town as the birthplace of PL Travers.
Their annual morning tea was the catalyst for the Mary Poppins Festival, believed to be the first in the world in honour of Mary and her creator.
This year’s 10-day program will highlight storytelling for all ages through art forms including music concerts, pop-up performances and art installations.
The highlight of the festival is the Mary Poppins in the Park day on July 1, in which Maryborough’s heritage streetscapes are transformed into scenes from the Poppins novels.
The Mary’s River Singalong Cruise is always a big hit, with song highlights from the movie starring Julie Andrews.
Keep an eye out for street theatre performers, pavement artists, jugglers, roving penny farthings, the grand costume parade, kite display, vintage cars, carnival rides and old-fashioned games and workshops. And don’t miss the Maryborough Story Trail of public art and memorials that bring characters and stories to life.
The Proud Marys members were also the driving force behind the Mary Poppins statue, erected in Richmond Street in 2005 outside the author’s birthplace.
