Eve Lamb
Things are about to turn distinctly spooky out Maldon way.
The town’s preparing to host its first ever Goldfields Gothic Festival of Dark Ideas this July.
As part of Maldon’s annual Maldon in Winter series, this new fest celebrates the dark side of the goldfields, tapping into it’s Gothic, tragic and more mysterious past with performances, tours, themed food experiences, live music and conversations on topics noir.
The new festival is the brainchild of its co-directors Valentina Tansley and Maldon resident Paul Kooperman who say they’re aiming to help revitalise the Covid-impacted town.
“As a National Trust Notable Town, Maldon has always been a tourist destination,” Paul says.
“In late 2021 we felt there was a real thirst in the community to revitalise the events program, so we came up with the idea to do something a little different this year.”
They’re hoping to bring new audiences to the town and the festival’s Michelle Dorian says it’s hoped the new event will become an annual fixture on the region’s event calendar.
“Definitely. This is one of those dreams,” she says.
The event celebrates the town’s “darker” past including ongoing rumours that more than one local building – notably including the town’s Kangaroo Hotel – are haunted.
“We hope so,” Michelle says.
“And we definitely hope the ghosts of Victorians past will be with us during this festival.”
From the 1850s the Victorian goldfields were home not only to miners, but also a darker undercurrent of ghost-hoaxers, spiritualists and secret societies.
Inspired by these intriguing stories of the past, Goldfields Gothic will be showcasing this lesser-discussed shadowy other side of goldfields in all its gruesome glory, its enthusiastic organising team say.
Last Friday’s first announcement of festival events includes The Gothic and Victorian Picnic – a free family friendly event in Maldon’s shire gardens, live music by legendary Australian dark alternative band Ikon, a special meeting of internationally renowned Death Café at Café Maldon, a uniquely crafted dark high tea, ghost tours by award winning spook sleuths Twisted History and a street display of collectible Hearses.