Easter Fair Society toasting century of service

THE Bendigo Easter Fair Society Inc. will celebrate its 100th anniversary at this year’s upcoming Easter Festival with the return of a towering fibreglass Kewpie Doll and a special exhibition at the Living Arts Space.

The Bendigo Easter Fair began in 1871 and was initially run by annual committees, often chaired by the mayor.

In 1926, a permanent Bendigo Easter Fair Society was established to oversee the event, bringing together representatives from the City of Greater Bendigo, Borough of Eaglehawk, Bendigo Hospital, Bendigo Aged Care Asylum plus nine community-spirited members.

The Society became an Incorporated Association in 1983 and in 2003 the City took over, with the organisation continuing in an advisory role.

Bendigo Easter Fair Society Inc. president Simon Mulqueen said the group had provided steady guidance for a century for one of Australia’s longest running community events.

“[It] has been a dedicated custodian of the festival, helping it to adapt while preserving its charitable foundations and cultural traditions,” he said.

“I am very proud of what the society has achieved. What has never changed is the heart of the festival.

“Generations of volunteers, supporters and sponsors have made Easter in Bendigo something truly special.”

The centenary will be marked by the return of Violet, a six-metre Kewpie Doll and one of 12 created for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony.

The Society acquired Violet at the Remains of the Games auction in 2000 and was then named after Bendigo Fair Society member and volunteer of 80 years Violee Myers Davey OAM.

She’ll be displayed in the piazza at Rosalind Park from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April.

“Violet is a tribute to the volunteer commitment that has sustained the Bendigo Easter Fair for more than a century,” Mr Mulqueen commented.

A special centenary exhibition, 100 Years of the Bendigo Easter Fair Society – Custodians of the Grand Fair, will be held at the Living Arts Space at the Bendigo Visitor Centre from Thursday 2 April to Saturday 2 May.

The free exhibition features a digital version of Violet, plus film, costume, memorabilia and archival images.