General News
21 March, 2025
Photos to unite community
Moonambel Arts and History Group’s photography competition returns next month with the theme 'on the edge', plus much more.
Moonambel Arts and History Group’s (MAHG) biennial photography competition and exhibition returns next month promising a “breath of fresh air” after bushfires and floods rocked the community.
The weekend of April 5 and 6 will see amateur through professional photographers’ work showcased in the 16-year-old event at the Moonambel Recreation Reserve Pavilion.
MAHG secretary Jenny MacKay said the weekend holds the community at its heart. Not just the Moonambel community, but reaching across the Pyrenees and Central Goldfields shires. There are even entries as far away as Canada.
“Anyone can be involved because everyone has a phone that can take a photo,” she said.
This year’s theme of ‘on the edge’ seems to echo the challenges the local community have been facing in recent years. It’s something Ms MacKay hopes the competition offers a break from.
“If you could imagine yourself being in a bushfire it’s totally traumatic. If you could imagine yourself losing your house, losing your livestock, losing the fences of your property, it is absolutely traumatic,” she said.
“So this gives our community respite, a breath of fresh air, something to be a positive amidst all the negative that’s happened for them.”
Between Saturday’s no set-up fee car boot sale (9 am to 1 pm) plus the accompanying BBQ and devonshire tea; to the exhibition, meet and mingle, and winner announcements on Sunday there’s sure to be something for everyone.
The winners will be for one of four categories. Best of Show ($250 prize) and Children 12 and Under ($50 prize) will be judged by professional photographers, but that doesn’t mean the community won’t have their say.
Attendees are encouraged to vote for their favourites under the ‘popular’ and ‘most humorous’ categories each with a $100 prize.
Entry forms are available from the Avoca Information and Visitor Centre during opening hours, the Sooz Bakez at the Avoca Riverside Market on March 23 or by contacting Ms MacKay at bmackay7@bigpond.com
To enter the competition is $5 per photo by March 28, while entry to the exhibition is a $2 donation per person. Primary age children are free for both.
Those at MAHG are hoping to at least equal the 150 entries in 2022, but they don’t know how many people to expect across the weekend.