General News
20 October, 2022
Highland Gathering to make highly anticipated return in 2023 after years of cancellations
Maryborough will return to its heritage roots on January 1 with the 160th Maryborough Highland Gathering looking to make a triumphant return to Princes Park. Not just a local icon, the Gathering holds the title of being Australia’s oldest...
Maryborough will return to its heritage roots on January 1 with the 160th Maryborough Highland Gathering looking to make a triumphant return to Princes Park.
Not just a local icon, the Gathering holds the title of being Australia’s oldest continually running sports event and is shaping up to be as big a success as ever, with sponsorship deals now coming in almost daily in the lead up to the New Year’s Day event.
Beginning in 1857, the Highland Gathering hasn’t run on just four occasions — during WWII and the past two years due to the pandemic — with 240 band participants, 80 highland dancers and more than 2500 spectators attending the 2020 event.
Given the challenges of the last two years during the pandemic and restrictions, Maryborough Highland Society sports secretary Nick Weaver said the return of the Gathering would bring the community together.
“I’m pretty excited, I’ve been looking after the event for probably six to eight years now and it’s really good that it’s back — I’m stoked,” he said.
“This event is going to bring the town and outer districts together again and to have Princes Park just about full like it was a few years ago will be fantastic.
“The Gathering has a family atmosphere and it will just be a day out for everyone, young and old.”
Mr Weaver said the 2023 event, which will mark the 160th gathering, is already shaping up to be the biggest in recent history.
“We’re really proud of the event and its history in our community as a club and we’re very pleased it’s coming back next year,” he said.
“We’re looking to have around 550 competitors coming from all over Australia for the gathering and there’ll be somewhere in the order of 120 pipe bands and Scottish dancers as well so it will be a big day.
“After not having the event for a couple of years we’re expecting to see crowds of between 5000 and 8000 people, but we would love to reach the 10,000 mark.”
The Gathering will return with its traditional march through High Street, athletics competitions running from 10 am through to 6 pm, including headline event in the Max Martin Memorial Gift, strong man and woman events, highland dancing, carnival rides and festivities and fireworks among other events.
“We’ve got some woodchopping events coming back this year which is great, we had them a few years back and they were really well received,” Mr Weaver said.
“We’ve also got our strong man and woman events returning which is always a highlight I think, we introduced the strong women events in 2020 which was important and well received and it’s something we’ll continue including.”
The event has already received over $20,000 in sponsorship from local businesses and Mr Weaver said it was a vote of confidence.
“So far we’ve got around $20,000 in sponsorship which is great and we’re working up to $40-50,000 to help cover the running of events,” he said.
“The support is rolling in, we had three sponsors sign on in the one day earlier this week which is fantastic to see.
“I think it shows that the com-munity is really committed to seeing the Highland Gathering return after the last couple of years.”
The 160th Maryborough High-land Gathering will take place at Princes Park on January 1, 2023.