Nundle motelier in battle to resurrect town's huge Go for Gold festival

Nundle Motel's Megan Carberry said the decades-old event is among the largest festivals in the region, second only to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, routinely drawing tens of thousands of tourists.

In the context of the relatively tiny Nundle, Go for Gold is a "huge" boost to the town's economy, she said.

"The festival is one of the best things that Nundle does every year," she said.

READ MORE:

"We have huge numbers that come to the village. People come year after year, after year both visitors and stallholders.

"The festival, I think, is what put Nundle on the map.

"It's the second biggest event after the country music festival in the region. It's a wonderful thing for Nundle and we need to keep it going."

The festival hasn't been held since 2019, a victim of COVID-19 in both 2020 and 2021.

The event's council-regulated 355 committee collapsed in advance of the 2022 event, unable to form an executive.

Ms Carberry plans to form a new committee - and therefore bring back the event.

She said they need just 20 or so volunteers, including a modest executive committee of a chairperson, vice chairperson, treasurer and secretary "and as many committee members as we can get".

"[I'm] hugely confident," she said.

"We've only got to put the word and the masses will come, because they're still looking out for it, people are still asking for it."

Held during Easter, Go for Gold honours the Chinese history of the old gold mining town.

Want more local news? Subscribe to the Leader to read it here first

April 2022 would have marked 25 years since the first festival, in 1997 - though it didn't have the Chinese theme until 2004.

Plans to hold a small-scale version of the festival instead of the grand-scale show were shelved earlier this year.

A spokesperson for Tamworth Regional Council said it was "open to working with the community should Nundle residents wish to reinstate the festival".

"Tamworth Regional Council has not yet been approached by any community members in regards to the re-formation of a 355 committee for the Go for Gold Festival at Nundle," they said.

Support the local news that keeps you informed - subscribe today.

Committee membership doesn't commit you to an overly onerous amount of volunteer work, outside the event itself, Ms Carberry said, with the committee required to hold a meeting every month.

She said it was worth the effort to bring back the iconic event.

The town has been "quiet" without it.

"It's certainly a hole in the economy for the village," she said.

"Even still now there are messages coming through, people asking, are we going to have it back, is it going to come back and have they missed the festival."

People who are interested can email Ms Carberry at bookings@nundleaccommodation.com.au

With the numbers, the next steps would be to apply for reinstatement as a formal committee. Any new event would need at least a full year in advance to plan.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: