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| A Forest of Goodwill campaign will help secure the Woodford Folk Festival for the next generation. (Supplied: SomeFX) |
By Sarah Howells and Tim Wong-See
The iconic Woodford Folk Festival is embarking on an ambitious multi-million-dollar fundraising initiative to buy back the festival site and future-proof the popular annual cultural pilgrimage for future generations.
The site known as Woodfordia, located north of Brisbane, has hosted millions of festival-goers since 1994 after outgrowing its previous site on the Sunshine Coast hinterland where it started in 1987 as the Maleny Folk Festival.
Held over six days, organisers, together with close to 2,500 volunteers, host thousands of acts and performers at Woodfordia claiming it is the largest gathering of artists and musicians in Australia.
Securing festival future
Festival organisers have now launched 'A Forest of Goodwill' campaign to ultimately raise $5.7 million to buy the 163-hectare festival site from the City of Moreton Bay council.
The move would ultimately return the land's ownership to Woodfordia Inc after being sold to the council following the 2010/11 Queensland floods.
The resulting financial losses and damage from the weather event led organisers to sell the land under a 50-year lease with a 25-year buyback option.
Speaking at the festival — which runs over the Christmas and New Year period — managing director of Woodfordia Inc Amanda Jackes said the campaign was about the future.
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| Woodford's managing director, Amanda Jackes. (Supplied: Jack Tindall) |
"It's now our community that is going to need to be the people that are going to have to secure this now," Ms Jackes said.
The campaign also fulfils Woodfordia's 500-year vision — "to gift future generations a place of peace and potential, free from debt — financial, social, and environmental".
On top of support for artists and performers, organisers estimate in 2022/23 the festival generated $28 million in economic benefit for the Moreton Bay region and $32 million across the state.
Ms Jackes said the community support that helped secure the festival's Woodfordia site would be needed again.
"Just like back in 1994 when we needed to find a home for our festival, it was the community that came together," Ms Jackes said.
It was also the community that started what has grown into a remarkable environmental legacy.
Since the Woodfordia site's purchase in 1994, it has been transformed from a degraded rural property to host a network of roads, bridges, underwater sewerage systems, and drainage to make the festival possible.
Tree planting weekends have also put more than 100,000 trees into the ground with trees planted more than 21 years ago still in place providing shade and a home for wildlife.
Fundraising begins
ABC Gardening Australia and Woodford Folk Festival stalwart Costa Georgiadis backed the campaign by describing the event as essential to telling the country's stories.
The popular ABC presenter has donated $5,000 on behalf of his five nephews and nieces to the fundraising campaign.
"We need a storytelling hub that is secure, secure long after we've gone," Mr Georgiadis said.
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| Popular ABC presenter Costa Georgiadis has donated $5,000 to the fundraiser on behalf of his nephews and nieces. (Supplied: Jack Tindall) |
"We don't say we are this and we are multicultural and all of that, anyone can say words, Woodford is the action," he said.
"You are safe here, we want to hear your stories, your stories matter."
Woodford patrons Stephen and Joanne Pronk have already donated $250,000 to the campaign with their two daughters and seven grandchildren also growing up with the festival.
"Seeing these grandchildren enjoy Woodford I thought, 'Well there's no better way for me to add value to the world other than a monetary donation that will help Woodford survive,'" Mr Pronk said.
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| Woodford patrons Joanne and Stephen Pronk. (Supplied: Woodford Folk Festival) |
"I've always been taught you got to give til it hurts and that was about our limit.
"I'm investing in my children and grandchildren and great grandchildren."
A moment in time
Ms Jackes said this year's festival marked the start of what would be a big campaign.
"This is a momentous occasion to do this," Ms Jackes said.
"It's a hallmark campaign.
"We'll also be talking to the council about how best they could actually make this a good campaign as well."
The City of Moreton Bay was contacted for comment.
First published at ABC News, January 1st, 2024
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