Where the Gwydir River and Halls Creek meet in Bingara will be the gathering place for families and community for Grazing on the Gwydir, 2024.
Organisers are opening arms to invite travellers and tourists to join them for an afternoon of delicious food and live music on the waterfront’s grassy shores on Saturday, 31 August.
Bingara businesswomen, councillor Tiffany Galvin, and lifelong friend Lenore Kennedy, were central to ‘Grazing’s’ creation and this year’s event. This will be the third Grazing since its inception.
Grazing was launched in early 2020 before the COVID-19 wave shuttered communities, but on the heels of the intense 2017-19 drought. In response, the women wanted to do something to promote and support Bingara’s economy.
She recalled the original concept of showcasing the community sprung from Lenore’s simple observation that Bingara didn’t have any tea towels featuring the town’s name; nothing tangible or tourist-y to collect as a keepsake from a visit.
“Lenore and I both had businesses in town, and it was when things were really rough, and we got a business group together. It was more of a casual thing to support each other with everything that was going on,” Tiffany said.
The result was formation of the Bingara Business Support Group to provide advice and networking opportunities for Bingara businesses. It gave shopkeepers the chance to meet amidst work-life demands for every business owner. With a bit of welcome funding, and growing ideas, Grazing was born.
Lenore said the first event took place in Maitland Street, but they kept the future in mind when they were considering a name.
“We said ‘Grazing on the Gwydir’, because our idea is to bring it back down here to the Junction because that’s where Halls Creek meets the Gwydir,” she said.
“It was about giving a bit of a lift to the businesses, really, while we’re supporting local talent and produce.”
“And that’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to put Bingara on display,” Tiffany added.
Grazing was put on hold for two years after its debut as the nation faced pandemic lockdowns, but returned in 2023, giving it momentum to become part of the local calendar.
This year, visitors will enjoy freshly smoked pork and beef, cakes and sweets, and snow-cones with poffertjes, the little Dutch pancakes, down by the waterfront, and plenty of takeaway options to bring down from Bingara’s cafes and pubs.
The music line-up will be Buster Wilsom, Natalie Jane Baker, and Haylie Reynolds at the stage under a beautiful Junction gum tree.
“It’s bring a picnic rug, drinks (this is a glass-free event), and enjoy the afternoon. A family afternoon on the river,” Tiffany said.
“So they can come in, settle down, have a bite to eat, and enjoy the music until five, so it’s a whole afternoon,” Lenore said.
Grazing on the Gwydir will officially kick off with lunch from 12-12.30pm, and music from 1pm on for the afternoon. The main location is at The Junction, at the intersection of Maitland and Keera Streets. Parking is plentiful, and families are encouraged to bring along picnic rugs, games, and have a stroll up the main street to explore local food vendors and shops.
Top image: Tiffany Galvin and Lenore Kennedy have been organisers for Bingara’s Grazing on the Gwydir since its beginning in 2020. (Photo: Michèle Jedlicka)
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