Join us for a Celebration of Convict Culture:
Music, Dance, Song, and Theatre.

Port Macquarie was a convict settlement from 1821 to 1832. During our special week we’ll explore the forgotten culture of these unwilling immigrants, bringing a new perspective to convict life in colonial Australia.
Location: Historic Port Macquarie, Australia
When: Saturday 25 October – Saturday 1 November 2025
Objective: To engage the community in a unique and immersive experience of convict culture, focusing on the arts that brought joy and solace to convicts during their time in Port Macquarie and beyond.
Focus: Interactive workshops to encourage active participation.
Workshops : Join our musicians, singers, and dancers as they lead interactive workshops showcasing the traditional music and dance forms that brought joy to the lives of convicts. Learn the steps to lively jigs, hornpipes and social dances, and discover the instruments and tunes that filled the air with melody. These are not the laments of miserable convict lives, instead they embody the vibrant culture that was cherished and celebrated.

Celebrating Bombastes Furioso, a play performed by convicts in 1825.
Featuring
- Welsh convict fiddler, William Wood
- Scottish convict fiddler, Alexander Laing
- Convict musician and dancing master, John Bushelle
- Music and dance from Lake Innes House

Events: A concert, dance, pop up performances, and a library exhibition to inspire community engagement.
Workshop Presenters: Dr Heather Blasdale-Clarke (Qld), Roland Clarke (Qld), David Johnson (NSW), John Tomlin (Tas), Trish Williams (Tas) + more to be confirmed

Venues:
St Thomas Church Hall, 50 Hay Street, Port Macquarie (next to the convict built church)
Historic Court House, Corner Hay Street and Clarence Street, Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie Library, 32 Grant Street, Port Macquarie
Ruins of Lake Innes House, Lake Innes Nature Reserve near Port Macquarie






Tickets
$320 early bird tickets before 1st September
$350 full price
Includes all workshops and sessions, visit to Innes House Ruins, Concerts in Library and St Thomas Church, morning and afternoon teas.
Not included: meals, accommodation

Draft Programme


Photos from previous events
Concert at the Commissariat Store in Brisbane, and Convict Culture Week on Norfolk Island.



