On the weekend of 26th and 27th September, the Abbey Museum celebrated four decades of educating, inspiring and enriching visitors with stories from our remarkable collection of international fine arts and antiquities.
To mark the occasion the Museum hosted a History Festival on a portion of the Abbey Community land called Abbeystowe, the site where the annual Abbey Medieval Festival is held. The name comes from an old Saxon word ‘stowe’ which means ‘gathering place’.
Visitors to the Abbey History Festival had the opportunity to explore numerous reenactment encampments that ranged from Ancient Rome to World War I. History came alive with craft and cooking displays, weapons demonstrations and presentations and an opportunity to discuss history with passionate enthusiasts.
Several performance venues included the Abbey Dance hall, where attendees participated in Colonial and Regency dance workshops or were richly entertained by Afro-Peruvian dancers from South America or Awa Odori (Japanese Dances) presented by Tensui Australia.
For those who wanted a more intellectual experience, the Lecture Hall was the place to be. A full program of presentations featured everything from Roman surgery and surgical Instruments to an Introduction to Heraldry, the history of the Crusades and Trade in the Byzantine Empire, a fascinating talk on Papyri and Hieroglyphics and the History of Beer (with a taste of free beer afterwards).
We were extremely honoured to have a new addition, called Echoes of the Rising Sun, officially opened by the Japanese Consul General, the Honourable Mr Katsutoshi Ishikawa. The Japanese Precinct featured a calligraphy tent where visitors could have their names painted on fans in a beautiful Japanese script. A calligraphy workshop for attendees was also extremely popular. There was a Tea Room for visitors to participate in a traditional tea ceremony and learn about its Chinese origins. As if this was not enough, we had a wonderful bonsai display, ancient samurai swords and a fantastic high-octane drumming performance by Tokoton Taiko.
The Festival began on Saturday with a special Welcome to Country by well-known Kabi Kabi educator and artist, Lyndon Davies. He was joined by the Gubbi Gubbi Dance Troupe who performed a series of dances accompanied by Lyndon playing the digeridoo or singing traditional songs. The Kangaroo Dance was extremely popular. Later that morning Lyndon presented a great talk on Aboriginal artefacts and told stories about First Nation’s interaction with the land.
Held in the Moreton Bay Arena, visitors also enjoyed the ever-popular Free Flight Falconry display presented by Marcus’s Falconry. There was a spirited and dynamic presentation called the Spirit of the Light Horse, by the Second Light Horse Regiment Woombye Troop.
A market area provided a dining cultural experience with a range of food available for visitors to enjoy. For a more historical and refined dining experience there was the Regency High Tea tent where guests enjoyed tea or coffee in fine bone chine cups and an array of delicious cakes and biscuits. Guests here were visited by the Abbey House Troupe engaged them in banter and Miss Felicity Miller talked about Regency Medical practices. For those who were feeling more energetic they could participate in dancing the Maypole and play croquet.
The weekend was filled with many things to see and do, an historical and immersive experience that was a fitting multi-period celebration of the Abbey Museum’s 40th anniversary. We congratulate the Abbey Museum and look forward to what the next 40 years has to offer.
