Events

Friday, September 28, 2012

Gilgandra Cooee Festival (Outback Festivals)

Did you know….The Cooee Festival commemorates the famous 1915 Cooee March. After the Gallipoli disaster and the first casualty lists were published the number of Australian men enlisting to go to war dwindled. In an attempt to change this trend, thirty-five men set out on a recruitment drive from Gilgandra to help in the WW1 effort, calling out “Cooee” to encourage men along the way to come and enlist also.

On the 12th December the Cooee’s reached Sydney with 277 men! The Cooee March was the first of many recruiting marches in this country, with recruiting marches playing a vital role in Australia’s World War I effort. The Cooee Festival showcases, preserves and celebrates Australian history in a unique and special way.

Cooee Festival Highlights: 

To celebrate this proud and unique event in Australia’s history, Gilgandra comes alive with a jam-packed schedule of events over the course of the days.   You’ll enjoy days of entertainment with a street parade, roving entertainment, bands, bush poetry, golf, jumping castles, face painting and markets. There is plenty of food and full bar service available. (No eskies are allowed through the gate).

The Coo-ee Festival is made possible by a dedicated team of volunteers and generous sponsors.  

Each year the event grows from strength to strength, with more and more tourists joining in to celebrate the culture and character of this remarkable historical event.