Heritage Festival

Next date: Tuesday, 21 April 2026 | 12:00 PM to Sunday, 03 May 2026 | 12:30 PM

The Queanbeyan-Palerang Heritage Festival coincides with and forms part of The National Trust’s Australian Heritage Festival, which takes place annually throughout April and May.

The 2026 festival theme is ‘Change’ – how has history changed us and how are we changing history.

We have participated in the National and ACT region Heritage Festivals for over a decade, celebrating the region's rich heritage, art and culture. The festival provides an opportunity for the community to enjoy events and exhibitions, gather and tell stories, celebrate through ceremony and performances, share knowledge through talks, walks and tours, and bring heritage to life in a fun and meaningful way.

We have an exciting calendar of events coming for you, with some of the highlights of the Queanbeyan-Palerang 2026 Heritage Festival including:

• Change & Perseverance - The Fabric of Community - An exhibition highlighting the c.1882 Queanbeyan Perseverance Lodge Banner and other community textiles and quilts
• Museum Open Days
• Heritage Awards for building restorations and renovations in our LGA
• Heritage workshops and public talks
• Heritage walking tours in the region

A printed highlights program is available at The Q Exhibition space and can be downloaded here(PDF, 4MB).

If you have any enquiries, please contact our Local History Librarians for assistance and advice – heritage.library@qprc.nsw.gov.au

For more events, state and nation wide, please go to the National Trust website https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/ahf/nsw/

2026 Heritage Festival Events

28 March – 30 June - Braidwood Library - Open Daily - 10:00 am- 4:00 pm
H.G Lloyds Historic Watercolour Landscapes

This exhibition features the watercolour prints of Henry Grant Lloyd, who travelled extensively through NSW and beyond, in the 1860s and 70s. This event is free.

Tuesday 4 April - Old Braidwood Cemetery Tour - 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

A guided tour held at the Old Braidwood Cemetery Coghill Street Braidwood. This event is free.

Thursday 9 - 30 April – The Q Exhibition Space - Open Tuesday-Saturday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Change & Perseverance: The Fabric of Community 

This exhibition highlights the c.1882 Queanbeyan Perseverance Lodge Banner, on public display for the first time in over 50 yrs. Other cultural objects and photographs displayed reflect the development and change in the Queanbeyan region over time. Come along to the Festival launch from 5-6pm, Thursday 9 April 2026. Book your free ticket at Eventbrite.

Saturday 11 April - Having a Go: Queanbeyan's Innovators - Araluen Room, ground floor Nellie Hamilton Centre, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Hear about the highs and lows of Queanbeyan's development in this Heritage Festival talk presented by Phillip Hawke. Change, innovation and optimism were all part of Queanbeyan's development. This event is free. Book your ticket at Humanitix.

Saturday 11 April - Book Launch: Art and Heritage in O'Neill's Cottage Down By the River - Araluen Room, ground floor Nellie Hamilton Centre, 3:00 - 4:00 pm

O'Neill's Cottage, home of the Queabeyan Arts Society, is nestled on the East Bank of Queanbeyan River. From this vantage point it has seen the ebb and flow of the river, its passersby, and pioneers. Cheryl and John Mudford have researched East Queanbeyan’s early history & interwoven that with of the Queanbeyan Art Society.

This event is free. Book your ticket at Humanitix.

BOOKED OUT - Tuesday 14 April - Queanbeyan Riverside Cemetery Walk- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Join guides John and Kerrie for a fascinating walk around the cemetery, containing the graves of families who have greatly contributed to the development of the Queanbeyan and Canberra region, as far back as 1847.

BOOKED OUT - This event is free but is limited to a maximum of 20 people. Email mcglynn_john@hotmail.com or leave a message on 6297 2730 to secure your place.

Friday 17 April - Open Day at the Queanbeyan Museum - 11:00 am- 4:00 pm
Step back in time and explore how policing has transformed over the years. From police on horseback to patrol cars and the introduction of technology.

This event is free.

Friday 17 April - Behind the Scenes at the Queanbeyan Museum - 11:00 am and 2:00 pm

Enjoy the chance to handle select objects under supervision. With experienced guides sharing stories behind the collection, it's an inviting opportunity to engage deeply with the people, places and objects that define Queanbeyan's unique identity.

This event is free but is limited to a maximum of 10 people each session. Email qbynhmuseum@gmail.com to secure you place.

Saturday 18 April - Conservators Talk - 1880's Queanbeyan Perseverance Banner

Join Kim Morris, lead Conservator at Art & Archival- discussing cultural conservation practices in relation to textiles on exhibition.

In this talk Kim Morris will discuss in general, conservation practices for heriatge items and then apply that to the treatment approaches for the Perserveance Banner on display. He will also discuss its poor condition, its preservation challenges, the treatment options avavible, and the handling of and storage/display of it in the future. There will be a Q&A following Kim's talk and light refreshments served in the foyer following the 30min session in the gallery.

Book your FREE ticket at eventbrite.

Sunday 19 April  - Queanbeyan River - Changes over time - 9:30 am - 11:00 am

Karen Williams and Tom Baker know this part of the river well and have many stories to tell. Join them on this 2-hour stroll from Erin Street up to Oaks Estate, discussing the changes in occupation, land use and vegetation over time.

This event is free. Meet at the end of Erin Street.

Tuesday 21 April - Explore Historic Queanbeyan - 9:30 am - 12:00 pm 

Join guides John McGlynn and Kerrie Ruth on a walk around Queanbeyan’s historic places, including churches, hotels, public buildings and private houses from the 19th to 20th centuries, and finishing at the Museum. Meet at the Queanbeyan Heritage Library, 253 Crawford Street.

This event is free but is limited to a maximum of 20 people. Email: mcglynn_john@hotmail.com or leave a message on 6297 2730 to secure your place.

Change of date - Saturday 2 May - Open Day at Braidwood Museum and Heritage Centre - 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Step inside the Braidwood Museum and Heritage Centre to discover treasures from our community's past and explore the new improvements.

Saturday 2 May - Talk: Who Built Lanyon Homestead? - Araluen Room, ground floor Nellie Hamilton Centre - 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Unlock one of the region’s intriguing historical mysteries — who built Lanyon Homestead? Sally Bond brings a fresh perspective to the competing claims surrounding early Queanbeyan builders Daniel Jordan and James Hutchison.

This event is free. Book your ticket at Humanitix.

Saturday 2 May - Change and Connection in the Uplands: Stories and Learnings from an Oral History Project - Araluen Room, ground floor Nellie Hamilton Centre - 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

This session discussees an oral history project that is nearing completion, and shares experiences for people who may want to do their own oral history projects. Book your ticket at Humanitix.

Saturday 2 May - QPRC Heritage Awards - Rusten House - 10:00 am - 11:00 am

The winners of the Queanbeyan-Palerang Local Heritage Awards will be announced and presented with their prizes.

Sunday 3 May - The History of St. Raphael's Church Queanbeyan - 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Learn about the change to the Parish over the past 70 years with presenter Dr. Margaret Carmody, a local author and historian. This event will follow regular 10 am Mass and 11:15 am Baptisms. Assemble for morning tea in the adjacent Presbytery.

This is a free event.

When

Location

Various locations across the LGA