Forbes celebrated 150 years of history during Forbes Heritage Week Festival on 1st May 2021.

‘Sharing our stories. Revealing the layers of our history.’ is the theme for Heritage Week 2023 and Forbes Shire Council’s amazing events team has put together an itinerary that ensures more of our local stories are uncovered and remembered.

The celebrations will kick-off on Tuesday 2nd May, with the The Forbes Heritage Awards evening and presentation of the Forbes Medal, recognising the conservation and promotion of the stories within our community. Two community groups have been nominated for their dedicated compassion in preserving these stories and artifacts of days gone by.

The following evening, Forbes Town Hall will again come to historical life, as the Convict Footprint Knees Up takes to the stage. This will be a night of historical music-hall entertainment, a light-hearted look at the history of this town. Be ready from 6.30pm

For those feeling brave, sign up to join the Forbes Heritage Cemetery Ghost Tour.

The tour will start at the Book Dispensary before embarking on a Cenwest bus for the Ghost Tour with the famous ‘Blind Freddy’s bushranger’. The bus tour starts at 5.30pm on Friday 5th May.

Heritage Week will conclude on Saturday 6th May with the Forbes Rotary Ipomoea Vintage and Collectables Fair.

Step back in time with displays and sales of items of yesteryear – dolls, bears, crockery, giftware. Will you pick the use, and/or origins of mystery items? Enjoy all-day tea and scones at the Town Hall from 9am to 5pm. Entry is via gold coin donation.

St John’s Anglican Church will be open for tours of the historical church in addition to a cake and garage sale on Saturday 6th May from 9am to 5pm. 

Bookings are essential for the awards evening, theatre show and cemetery ghost tour. Please email events@forbes.nsw.gov.au or phone Council on 6850 2300. 

Motorists are advised of changed traffic conditions on Tuesday, 25 April, on the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains for Anzac Day services. 

Glenbrook: There will be no access to Hare Street from Great Western Highway between 5:15am and 11:45am. There will be no access to Ross Street from Great Western Highway between 10:00am and 10:50am. Great Western Highway will be closed in both directions between Hare Street and Ross Street for up to 15 minutes between 10:35am and 10:50am. 

Lawson: The westbound left turn lane from the Great Western Highway will be closed into Honour Avenue between 4:30am and 12:30pm. 

Blackheath: There will be no access to Govetts Leap Road from Great Western Highway between 9:30am and 11:00am. 

Motorists are advised to take extra care, drive to the conditions and follow the directions of signs and traffic control. 

Transport for NSW thanks motorists for their patience. For all the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701. 

The Last Post is now associated with remembrance but originally was a bugle call to sound the end of the day’s activities in the military.

The Australian War Memorial is marking the 10 year anniversary of the daily Last Post Ceremony, held in the Commemorative Area. The first official ceremony, held on 17th April 2013, commemorated the service and sacrifice of Private Robert Poate who was killed in Afghanistan in 2012. 

Each ceremony shares the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour. To date, the Memorial has delivered over 3,300 ceremonies featuring individual stories of service from colonial to recent conflicts. It would take over 280 years to read the story behind each of the 103,000 names listed. 

“The Last Post Ceremony is our commitment to remembering and honouring the legacy of Australian service,” Memorial Director Matt Anderson said. 

“Through our daily Last Post Ceremony, we not only acknowledge where and how these men and women did, but we also tell the stories of who they were when they lived and of the families who loved and, in so many cases, still mourn for them.” 

Last Post stories are researched and written by the Memorial’s military historians, who begin the process by looking at nominal rolls, attestation papers and enlistment records before building profiles that include personal milestones and military experiences. 

Tickets are required if you want to attend the Last Post Ceremony. Tickets are free and can be booked on the Memorial’s website: www.awm.gov.au/visit 

The Mates4Harness Flood Relief Anzac Day Race meet will bring the community together to celebrate the Anzac spirit while supporting local flood victims.

A family focused event, the race day will have something for everyone from live music, auctions, free kids amusements, mobile rides, mini trots, ice-cream, free facepainting and of course harness racing action and a drivers invitational race.

Anzac day will also be commemorated with a parade at the course and 2 Up, where punters can try their luck off the track as well.

The day will kick off at 12.15pm at the Eugowra Showground Paceway.

It is great to see the Eugowra community bounce back after the 2022 floods. The huge community and Council effort to get the infrastructure of Eugowra back in shape to host such events is commendable.

If you are looking for something different to do with the family this Anzac Day, head on over to Eugowra to support the community In their recovery efforts.

For more information on the Mates4Harness Flood Relief Harness Race Day, head on over to www.eugowraharnessracing.com or check out Eugowra Harness Racing Club Facebook Page.

5.15am Dawn Service 

Lights out in Templar Street, Lachlan St, Harold St and Victoria Park, organised for 5am – 6am. Assemble at 5.15am in front of Club Forbes. March to Cenotaph Harold Street 5.20am. Club Forbes open approximately 6am for breakfast. 

10.30am Mid-Morning March 

Assemble at 10am in Cross Street: Flag party, Forbes High School, Red Bend Catholic College, Forbes Public School, Forbes North Public School, St Laurence’s Primary School, local Preschool’s, St Johns First Aid Service, Forbes Town Band, Returned Service men and women and relatives of Returned Service men and women, vintage cars, Ambulance Service, Rural Fire Services, SES Members and safety vehicle. 

The Service at the Cenotaph starts at 10.30am with wreath laying and concludes approximately 11am. 

Luncheon at Club Forbes available in the club Bistro. 

2pm Two-up at Club Forbes in the club auditorium. 

5pm Lowering of flag at cenotaph 

Aussie pop sensation Sneaky Sound System are the headline act at this year’s Frost and Fire.

It is official – Sneaky Sound System is the headline act for this year’s Frost and Fire at Forbes Ski Dam, along with a swag of local and regional performing talent. 

“Frost and Fire has very quickly embedded itself into the Forbes calendar, selling out quickly each year and drawing visitors from around NSW and interstate,” said Forbes Mayor, Phyllis Miller, as she officially announced the events 2023 launch. 

“It embodies everything that is great about winter – the old-fashioned country bonfire, mates, great food and drink. Frost and Fire is about celebrating the winter solstice – the shortest day and longest night of the year, and what better way to do this than under the canopy of perfect, starry skies at Forbes,” Mayor Miller said. 

“Organise your friends and family to come along, share warm and hearty food and boutique brews next to cosy fire buckets as winter temperatures knock.” 

Joining Aussie pop sensation Sneaky Sound System on the line-up is a mix of local and regional support acts. Grenfell’s Belinda Day kicks off the evening, followed by Forbes locals Cler, Em and Jo, back by popular demand, and indee-pop newcomer Birdee, originally from Parkes and now making waves on the international music scene. 

Sydney Fire Dancers will also add to the evening’s entertainment, along with the lighting of the grand effigy. 

“Mark Saturday June 17 in your calendar, book your tickets, pack your chair and picnic rug, and bring your fun along to Frost and Fire,” Mayor Miller said. 

Tickets cost $15 for adults, 18 years and under are free but must register and are available through 123tix.com.au. 

Free shuttle buses will run every 20 minutes from Forbes Town Hall and Renfree Street to the Ski Dam. Onsite parking is limited, and costs $10 per vehicle. 

The lighting of the effigy at last year’s Frost and Fire.

The Golden Plough will be held in Wongarbon on Saturday, 22nd and Sunday, 23rd April. This competition was first held in 1976 and has been fiercely contested ever since. This is the first year it will be hosted in the Dubbo region. 

The Western Branch of the Australian Draught Horse Stud Book Society hosts the two-day annual event which includes, horse working classes, obstacle courses, wagon rides, horse-driven chaff cutter demonstrations along with ladies, junior, novice and veteran ploughing competitions and culminates with the fiercely contested Golden Plough.

Horse drawn ploughing involves skilfully guiding one or two draught horses, pulling a single furrow plough, to create a straight plot of eight runs (minimum) which are judged on linear accuracy, depth, sharpness of cut, total width and how the soil is turned. 

Watch the ploughmen and women battle it out for the Golden Plough trophy, see horsemanship at its best. Bring your family and friends for a great weekend of horsemanship, demonstration events,food stalls and stay longer for fire-side stories, poetry and a camp oven dinner. Day, dinner and weekendpasses available.

For further details go to: www.facebook.com/thegoldenplough or get your and tickets at www.123tix.com.au/events/38544/the-golden-plough