Our Heritage - "Back to the Bay" 2004

The first Festival in November 2004 was a great success, with about 1500 people attending. It featured 20 stalls, a "welcome to country" by the local Aboriginal Land Council, a non-stop performance program (including Nords Wharf school band and choir), "old-time" children's games, a custom-made Catho protest song, choirs, performance and music groups.

The Festival took shape in August 2004 when the Progress Association invited more than 100 residents, young and old, current and former, to join forces to collect stories about the Bay's historic houses and the generations who grew up in them and created the Bay's special community heritage.

The Progress Association photographed every house in the village, reprinted the on information sheets and asked people to write their memories of it and the families who had lived there.

Some stories were voice-recorded and in other cases young people and recent residents assisted older people to commit their memories to paper. Many people supplied photographs and other memorabilia which was scanned and stored.

All the information was collated for exhibition at the inaugural "Back to the Bay" Heritage Festival in November 2004.

The Progress Association thanks its Festival sponsors and supporters, which included a Federal Government's Department of Health Positive Ageing Community Grant, Lensworth Wallarah Peninsula , Wyong Neighbourhood Centre, Rafferty's Resort, Lake Macquarie City Council, Hunter TAFE Graphic Design Diploma Students, Lake Haven Shopping Mall, Nords Wharf Primary School and various anonymous donors.

The Festival has the co-operation of Catherine Hill Bay residents, the Bowling Club, Surf Lifesaving Club and Rural Fire Service.

Three generations at work	Old mates	Getting it right
Are you sure?	Tell me more!	Friends and neighbours at the end of the day
Neighbours	The nerve centre	Time for a breather