Heritage on shows

Jessica Benton
THE CULTURAL heritage of Geelong will come alive this weekend for a traditional festival.
National Trust Geelong region president Jennifer Bantow said Heritage Festival – Peopling a Nation offered a chance to learn about the cultural significance of local landmarks and stories.
“The idea is for communities to focus on the heritage of their areas and what makes their particular locality significant,” she said.
“We’ve decided to look at the historical events that have occurred here and reenact them in the places that they actually occurred.”
Mrs Bantow said the festival would also focus on the local Watherung Aboriginal heritage.
A number of theatrical performances will tell the tales of bygone days, including that of convict runaway, William Buckley, who befriended an Aboriginal clan before white settlement. His story will be told in Returned From the Dead at Steel’s Rock, Portarlington from 4pm on Saturday.
Local art galleries and museums will also showcase the rich history of Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula.
Victoria’s vintage diesel train, the Geelong Flyer, is embedded in the local history as Australia’s fastest 1920s train and will be on display at the Geelong Station platform on Saturday from 11.30am, while the yesteryear of the high seas can be seen from Cunningham Pier, with the Victoria Star ship docking from 1.20pm.
A circuit bus will navigate between the local heritage sites, offering patrons a comfortable setting to explore the vast array of historical features.
City of Greater Geelong and the National Trust support the two-day event.
For more information and a full program list, call Mrs Bantow on 0407 504 262.