Goulburn Railway Sesquicentenary Ball aka 2019 Heritage Ball, 7.30 to 11.30 Saturday 25th May.

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BMC Heritage Ball Press Release

Earlybird Bookings Extended

Earlybird Bookings for the Heritage Ball 2019 have been extended till 7th May to give members a little more time to organise their ticket purchase and to round up friends to join them in groups and tables. Although it is named the Goulburn Railway Sesquicentenary Ball please be assured that this is definitely the Bush Music Club's Heritage Ball which has been held annually since the early 1980s. Your support is important.

The online ticket booking link is https://www.trybooking.com/469110

The Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC, Governor of New South Wales has accepted the invitation to be our guest of honour.

The Heritage Ensemble has its final rehearsal next weekend and are looking forward to playing for the Ball in a different setting. The hall decoration will feature railway pictures pertinent to the 150th anniversary of the arrival of rail in Goulburn.

A follow-up picnic on the Sunday is being planned. Details to follow.

Dave Johnson

Book tickets here

   Early bird tickets are available until 7th MAY

Adults - $50
Concession card holders, Bush Music Club & Monaro Folk Society members - $45

Group of 8 people - $360
For larger groups please contact Dave directly

Secondary or tertiary students - $40

Primary aged children - $20

The Heritage Ball this year is an exciting collaboration with folk in Goulburn who are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the railway. The Goulburn Loco Roundhouse Preservation Society is organising a weekend of railway focussed events with the NSW Governor arriving by steam train and unveiling plaques and planting trees. At first I offered to run a dance and then realised that with the Heritage Ball usually held at this time it was going to be a crowded May. Discussion with BMC President, Sharyn Mattern and Ball Coordinator, Wendy Richmond led to the idea of having an out of town Heritage Ball and the Goulburn Railway Sesquicentenary Ball was initiated.


2000 Gold Medal Heritage Ball, Cumberland Hospital, Parramatta (Bob Bolton photo)

Goulburn allows us to draw on dancers from Canberra and the local Social Dance group are keen to come too. As well, we can draw on musicians from ACT and around Goulburn as well as our usual Sydney suspects. There will be opportunity to display ball costumes during the day, though purists would distinuish between day wear and evening wear. A word of warning though, accommodation in Goulburn will be difficult to get closer to the date so be advised and get in early.

The Council has been approached to allow use of the rotunda in Belmore Park for concert items such as the Concert Party might provide utilising that splendid collection of Railway Songs that Brian Dunnett and Ralph Pride assembled. Any other groups, duos or soloists would be welcome to contribute to this historically themed weekend.


Concert in the park, Bush Traditions Gathering - 2010 (Sandra Nixon photo)

Goulburn even has an active SteamPunk group and a branch of the Creative Anachronists so hopefully some of them will join in the fun and attend the Ball. Workshops to familiarise dancers with the programme will be available in Sydney as usual, and also in Canberra and Goulburn. The programme incidentally revives some of the dances that some will recall were danced at the 2005 Heritage Ball which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the start of the railway in Sydney. The annual dance competition had the challenge of creating a new dance to music of the period, namely The Sydney Railway Waltz, The Railway Gallope and The Railway Polka. If my memory serves me well John Short took out the honours with his Railway Waltz.


So there it is: Goulburn Railway Sesquicentenary Ball on the 25th of May in the St Saviours Church Hall in Burke St Goulburn. The Heritage Ensemble and I look forward to seeing you there.

enquiries - Dave Johnson

BMC Life Member, 

Heritage Ball Musical Director for 30 Years

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