Stuart Town is loaded with history.
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The 1860s goldrush made Splitter's Gully a panners' favourite and it remains that way up to now, Banjo Patterson wrote the poem The Man from Ironbark there, the 1880s Ironbark Hotel's tap hasn't run dry, its NSW premier Robert Askin's birthplace, and so much more.
And now, a small committee of enterprising locals led by Ben Penhall hopes to share that history more after receiving a $10,000 state government grant.
The grant will help put the town of 450 residents into the annual calendar of regional festivals and help attract tourism activities.
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"It is perfectly positioned between the regional centres of Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst and of course, Wellington," Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders said.
Mr Saunders assisted the Stuart Town Action Group Inc (STAG) to obtain assistance from the NSW government's Stronger Together Grants program so they can host the first Stuart Town Multicultural Festival on May 7.
"The wider region has really diverse multicultural communities, and we know people are both curious about, and keen to celebrate these different cultures," Mr Saunders said.
This week, the Royal Australian Navy Band confirmed it is performing on the day, Orange Helicopters will be displaying their choppers for aviation enthusiasts, markets stalls listed a range of products from local produce, and more exciting entertainment programs are to be announced, Mr Penhall said.
"We used to attract over 5000 people here and that's gone with only 1500 or so passing by so we now have a part to make new plans for the town to have its own annual festival," Mr Penhall said.
"Just about every culture is represented across the shire, and we're aiming to have at least 12 multicultural food stalls.
"Any money we make goes back into the community."
Stuart Town also hosts The Man From Ironbark Festival annually.
The festival celebrates the village and its connection to the famous Banjo Patterson poem.
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