Record Roll-Up For Festival

Cr Kathy Duff thanked Scots In The Bush icon Gervie Fullerton, who has attended every festival since the event began … Gervie normally performs the Address Tae The Haggis but this year the 93-year-old sang some Scottish folk songs instead

August 26, 2022

Organisers of Boondooma Homestead’s Scots In The Bush festival said they were delighted with this year’s attendance numbers, which appear to have broken all previous records.

More than 400 caravanners filled the Homestead’s camping area for the four day event, while stall holders offering everything from tartans to Celtic jewellery packed the grounds.

The Homestead’s covered performance area was also frequently filled to overflowing, and visitors came from as far afield as Coffs Harbour and Mackay to enjoy the festivities.

A big roll-up of 130 performers took to the stage over the course of the event – some singly, others in groups – while the Homestead’s camp kitchen served up thousands of meals to hungry revellers.

What was even more remarkable was that this year’s Scots In The Bush was the first since 2019.

The pandemic had forced the 10 year old festival’s cancellation in 2020 and 2021, and after such a long absence the Homestead’s committee were worried the event may have lost its momentum.

However, the forced break appeared to have done no harm at all.

Boondooma Homestead committee secretary Judy Brandt said this year’s event had run “exceptionally well”.

Apart from a record number of caravanners, the Festival also chalked up a record number of day visitors on the Friday and Saturday.

Judy said some of these appeared to come from Boondooma Dam, which was offering a 20 per cent discount that weekend to capitalise on the festival.

She also paid tribute to 93-year-old Gervais (“Gervie”) Fullerton, an icon of the event who has attended every Scots In The Bush since it began.

This year’s festival was officially opened by South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto, who congratulated the 52 volunteers who had put it together.

The event is one of the Homestead’s major annual fundraisers, along with the annual Bush Balladeers Muster each April.

The profits from both events are ploughed back into maintenance and improvements to the historic property, which was established by three Scotsmen in the 1850s as one of the South Burnett’s pioneer homesteads.

[Photos: Kathy Duff]