History comes alive during Tamworth's Heritage Festival

The 2024 Tamworth Regional Heritage Festival begins on Friday, April 19, with locals and visitors set to embark on a journey through the decades of history interwoven throughout the North West.

Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) museum operation and visitor engagement officer, Naomi Blakey, said we look back on our history as it can interpret our present.

"Everything from the past interlinks with what we do today," she said.

"So, it is really important to understand why we do things."

This year's festival is jam-packed with a variety of events and activities, including a behind-the-scenes tour of Calala Cottage and guided tours of the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame with country music star Pixie Jenkins.

Along with a viewing of the Electric Lamp Manufacturers documentary held at the Tamworth Film and Sound Archive.

TRC councillor Helen Tickle said there would be exhibitions, guided tours, and demonstrations held across Tamworth, Nundle, Manilla, and Moonbi.

"It aims to give people the opportunity to delve into our past," she said.

"We have an interesting history in the communities in which we live, and we see what our forbears have done for us."

The Heritage Awards will kick off the 10-day festival this Friday, April 19, at the Tamworth Regional Gallery.

Cr Tickle said the awards recognised those who had restored, preserved, and shared the history of the region.

"We are very grateful to those people who have done the work they have done," she said.

"One of our very important awards is the Warren Newman Memorial Award, which is given to an individual in a voluntary capacity who has contributed significantly to our heritage."