The Spirit of the Land Festival is held on the second weekend of October each year in Lockhart, a town nestled in the NSW Riverina district, just southwest of Wagga Wagga, with a population of only 800 residents.
A wonderful aspect of the Festival is that it began during the worst drought in Lockhart’s recorded history as a celebration to the resilience of those who live and work on the land. From the very first, the Spirit of the Land has proved an outstanding success – reviving community spirit, inspiring enthusiasm and putting a small town well and truly on the Festival map.
The highlight of the Festival is the National Farm Art Awards. The amazing sculptures in this unique competition are created from recycled metal, farm materials and elements of the land, and the sculptures are more than surprisingly good, they are amazing!
In addition to the high quality National Farm Art Sculptures, the Festival includes fine art, Indigenous exhibitions, open garden tours, farm tours, boutique markets, vintage cars, antique auctions, live entertainment plus food, wine and some of the friendliest locals you’re ever likely to encounter. The lively Lockhart Picnic Races are held on the Friday before the Festival, and are themselves a great day out!
With over 6,000 visitors last year, the 2014 is shaping up into the biggest year yet and the Festival committee have extended their sculpture categories to include a new award, “The Spirit of ANZAC”. This award commemorates the centenary of WWI and the upcoming ANZAC centenary in 2015.
PROGRAM OF EVENTS
Friday, 10 October 2014
- Lockhart Picnic Races – Gates open midday
- Judging of exhibitions
- National Farm Arts Sculpture Awards Presentation Evening, commencing at 6pm. Tickets available from Lockhart Shire Council.
Saturday, 11 October 2014
- Exhibitions open from 9am. Admission $5 – Under 16 free
- Market Stalls under the verandahs
- Children’s entertainments
- Live Music by the lagoon from 9 am -8 pm
- Farm Tours
- Open Gardens
- Wagga War Plane Flights
- Fireworks Display
Sunday, 12 October 2014
- Exhibitions open from 9am. Admission $5 – Under 16 free.
- Market Stalls under the verandahs
- Children’s entertainments
- Live Music by the lagoon from 9.30 am till 3.30 pm
- Farm Tours
- Open Gardens
Discover Lockhart, the Verandah Town
A visit to Lockhart will surprise and charm you. Walk wide shady verandahs and discover the life and times of Lockhart and district as depicted in over 400 images etched in the pavers of the ‘The Verandah Town’.
Classified by the National Trust, Lockhart exhibits a fine example of typical turn of the century architecture. Situated 62 km from Wagga Wagga and 105 km from Albury/Wodonga, Lockhart was the Winner of the NSW Tidy Towns Award in 2009.
Spend some time and discover features and attractions including, the beautiful parks, nature reserve and bush walks local art, shopping and dining or surround yourself in our history. Local businesses offer a unique shopping experience. Enjoy coffee or a relaxed lunch in one of Lockhart’s cafes, hotels or Ex-Servicemen’s dining room.
The popular Spirit of the Land Festival is also the catalyst that inspired the wonderful sculptures displayed throughout Lockhart and the surrounding district throughout the year. While in Lockhart walk the ‘Farm Art Trail’, a unique collection of sculptures acquired by Lockhart Shire Council and other prominent supporters of the community. Many of the sculptures are winners of the national Farm Art Sculpture Awards, held in junction with Lockhart’s Spirit of the Land Festival, a celebration to the resilience of those who live and work on the land. This year’s exhibition, augmented by the town’s own collection of sculptures, promises to be just as remarkable as in previous years. Lockhart’s own Community Branch of the Bendigo Bank has once again pledged this year to help the town build its collection with the purchase of a new sculpture.
The Pastoral Shadows of Brookong is a heritage trail located at the north eastern entrance to Lockhart township. Designed by the Lockhart Progress Association, the Pastoral Shadows of Brookong reflect life during Lockhart in times long past. Once a large sheep station encompassing thousands of acres, Brookong Station of the 1880’s included the area where Lockhart stands today. Many men worked on this station as shearers, shed hands, rouseabouts, stockman, drovers and the inevitable man out of work, the ‘swaggie’. Depicting settlers, squatters, swagmen, horses, working dogs and sheep, who were the life blood of the area, and set in an area of native grasslands, the natural features of the metals used provide the necessary character, contours, shapes and shading to the various sculptures to create a glimpse of a bygone era.
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