Plans for Heritage Week 2015 underway

The film along with many other commemorative plans were drafted for the anniversary which will next year coincide with Heritage Week.

A public meeting was held in Town Hall on Tuesday night to determine the program of events which will run from May 2-5.

On Saturday, May 2, 2015, there will be a Ben Hall bus tour, guiding guests to Escort Rock, the Ben Hall shooting site and finally to the Forbes Historical Museum. 

On the Sunday, there will be a tour of the Forbes cemetery followed by the Ben Hall festival which will feature a variety of food and market stalls. 

The festival also hopes to invite descendents of local bushrangers to read poetry and people can enter a bushranger dress up up competition. 

Following on from the festival will be an Heritage Advisor workshop, as well as the presentation of the Forbes Medal, Forbes Heritage Volunteer Award and the Heritage Arts Award.

On Tuesday for the 150th anniversary of the shooting of Ben Hall, Matthew Holmes’ film The Legend of Ben Hall will premiere, with cast and crew all making a red carpet appearance. 

On the anniversary, there will also be an unveiling of new interpretive panel at the Ben Hall shooting site.

The theme for Heritage Week 2015 is ‘conflict and compassion’, and Forbes Shire Council’s marketing manager Sarah White said it couldn’t be more appropriate to the life of Ben Hall. 

“Heritage Week is very significant for Forbes,” she said. 

“For it to be held at the same time as the 150th anniversary of Ben Hall’s shooting, and with the National Heritage Trust’s theme, it couldn’t be more fitting.”

Heritage Week 2015 also coincides with ‘Bathurst 200’ which celebrates two centuries since the town’s proclamation. 

Ms White said she hopes to co-promote the two events and offer a regional tourism experience for visitors. 

The proposed program for Forbes is hoped to be finalised by next month.