In early 2015, the Village Festival began talking with Castlemaine residents who have lived in the town for more than twenty years.
Over many cups of tea, the elders of the town have shared a wealth of personal stories about this place: from heart-breaking to heart-warming and from quirky to the profound, these stories are Castlemaine’s hidden history.
Through Stories of Castlemaine, the local community is re-weaving these historical threads. The stories have been interpreted by Castlemaine residents young and old, and re-created in many forms. The Village Winter Festival’s firelighting ritual (5.30pm, Saturday 20 June, 2015) brings selected stories to life through steampunk theatre, music, circus, puppetry and pyrotechnics. Children have created drawings and dioramas. A printed map with many of the stories is available at the local tourist office.
Stories of Castlemaine aims to bring together Castlemaine’s diverse community and invites long-term residents, blow-in tree-changers and visitors alike to discover the town anew.
This mobile-friendly website allows you to trace your own personal historical journey through the town. Read, watch and listen to all the stories and their various artistic interpretations. The website is a living repository and we invite everybody to contribute their personal stories of place.
Made possible thanks to:
