THINKING of hitting the road and travelling way out west?
Winton will be the place to be in April, when some of the country’s top entertainers will gather to celebrate the reopening of the Waltzing Matilda Centre.
On June 18, 2015, a blaze broke out in the central-west town, destroying the first museum in the world dedicated to a song, Waltzing Matilda, written by Banjo Paterson in 1895.
To welcome it back, Winton’s Way Out West Fest from April 19-22 will be headlined by Jessica Mauboy.
The festival will present an exciting bill of Australian talent including John Williamson, The Living End, Sheppard, Busby Marou, Russell Morris, The Black Sorrows and the Pierce Brothers. US acts Kip Moore and Lee Brice will also perform.
Mauboy said she felt honoured to be performing with such a great line-up.
“Waltzing Matilda is one of the icons of Australian folklore and the reopening of the Waltzing Matilda Centre will itself be a new chapter in the history of our nation,” she said.
“I can’t wait to share the occasion with the thousands who will come from all corners of Australia to celebrate with us.”
The re-opening comes after $23 million was spent refurbishing the centre. As well as music, the festival will feature a race meeting, markets and lots of local hospitality.
Transport, camping and other travel packages are available.
The website also has some great road trip ideas for getting to the festival.
- 1300-628-532, wintonswayoutwestfest.com.au
If you go...
THERE’S plenty to see and do in and around Winton, whether your interest is history, nature or even machinery.
The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils, including the diamantinasaurus (known fondly as Matilda), and don’t miss the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at Lark Quarry Conservation Park, where the dinosaur trackways are believed to date back to the Cretaceous period, 95 million years ago.
Bladensburg National Park, 7km from Winton, offers a snapshot of station history at the old homestead and
surrounding buildings and shearing shed.
Take a trip into transport history with a visit to Winton’s Heritage Truck and Machinery Museum, and visit the Musical Fence, a wire fence that can be played like a musical instrument.