Andersons Mill Festival 2011

The historic 5 storey bluestone mill situated in Smeaton will again be the venue for the 2011 Anderson’s Mill Festival. The festival has been conducted for the past 16 years and is a celebration of local foods, wine and music. This years festival will held on Sunday the 3rd of April, returning to its usual time of the first Sunday in April.

The Newlyn Football Netball Club and its many volunteers will be running the festival in conjunction with Parks Victoria and the Hepburn Shire Council. The club has organised the event for the past 6 years and has successfully made it family friendly and accessible to local producers and local community groups.

In addition to local wineries and food producers, the festival offers visitors a large variety of art and craft stalls, blacksmithing and sheep shearing demonstrations, wood turning, pony rides and much, much more. Workshops will again be conducted featuring cooking demonstrations, wine appreciation, beer brewing, aquatic plants and butter making.   A number of local artists will also have their skills and paintings on display on the first floor of the mill.

The Anderson’s Mill Festival has always been popular with music lovers and 2011 will be no exception. The day will begin with the very talented students from the Ballarat High School who always prove to be a hit. The feature band for the day will be ‘ Damian Howard and The Ploughboys’ ,  back for 2011 after proving a hit at last years festival. They play a mix of celtic, folk rock and country music and are a headline act at events such as the Port Fairy Folk Festival and Tamworth. Also featuring during the afternoon will be local band ‘ Tar ‘ere Jack ‘ who play a mix of celtic and Australian traditional folk music.

Children are special visitors to the Anderson’s Mill Festival and again in 2011 there will be plenty for them to do and see including face painting, building with wood and pony rides.

Andersons Mill is a reminder of an industry that flourished after the goldrush’s of the 1850’s. Construction of the fascinating five story flour mill started in 1861 and included stables, a grain store and a blue stone office. The mill closed in 1957 and became one of the first buildings to be included on the Historic Buildings register in 1974.  Much needed repairs were made and the mill was finally purchased by the State Government in 1987. The huge water wheel, which once drove the grain mill should be turning on the day as water to drive it will hopefully not be an issue as it has been in previous dry years.

Entertainment kicks off at 10am and the fun continues through the day till 5pm. in the picturesque township of Smeaton.  Follow the signs from the Midland Highway to a relaxing fun filled day for the whole family. Free parking is provided for visitors as well as a free shuttle bus service from the car park to the venue.

Entrance prices are $5.00 children, $8.00 seniors, $12.00 adults and $30.00 per family.