The 2009 Maraka Committee is dedicated to making this event a success.  For any further information, feedback or donations please don't hesitate to contact any of the event co-ordinators or the Maraka Committee.

Ph. (07) 4777 1622

Fx. (07) 4777 1703

E. secretary@maraka.org.au

Ever wondered how the Maraka Festival came about?

The following information has been extracted from "Maraka and the Community It Highlights - 25 Years Onwards" a booklet compiled and written by R.L. Shepherd in 1984 to commemorate 25 years of Maraka.

INTRODUCTION

The first Festival was held in 1959. A Herbert Street Park Mardi Gras was held to assist in marking the centenary in 1959 of the creation of Queensland as a colony in 1859. So enthusiastic was the community response to the 1959 Mardi Gras and it's associated events, it was agreed that it should become an annual function.

The festival was named Maraka in the following year and there has been a Maraka Festival every year since.

THE BEGINNINGS

Hinchinbrook Shire Council, under the Chairmanship of Cr. W.O. Garbutt, was determined that Ingham would play its part to the fullest in the State's centenary celebrations and Cr. Garbutt convened a number of public meetings to plan for the occasion.

Organisation for the celebrations was accepted by the two service clubs then fully operative in the district - Ingham Rotary and Ingham Apex.

There was acceptance for the concept of a community Mardi Gras to take place in the Herbert Street Park area on the evening of Wednesday, June 10. A procession was arranged in conjunction with the lead-in to the Mardi Gras celebrations. Other activities held in 1959 included a Sports Day, a Centenary Ball and a dinner function for older residents of the district who had been in the district prior to 1909.

The evening Mardi Gras proved such a success that the Ingham Rotary Club, Ingham Apex Club and the Hinchinbrook Shire Council agreed that a community carnival should become an annual event.

FESTIVALS SINCE 1959

With Cr Garbutt's strong support, Ingham Apex and Ingham Rotary met several times to discuss the concept which the carnival should follow. Retention of the name Mardi Gras was not favoured and another suggestion that that it should be called "Rotapex Carnival" also failed to find favour.

Apex Club President at the time, Bob Taylor, made approaches to university authorities, seeking Aboriginal words which would be appropriate and it was from the list provided from the university that "Maraka" meaning "pleasant evening" or "happy get together" was ultimately chosen.

The Herbert Street Park was later renamed Rotary Park in 1960 by the Hinchinbrook Shire Council to recognise the work that Ingham Rotary Club had performed upgrading facilities in the park.

The popularity of this area led it to being retained as the venue for the first carnival held under the name of Maraka, and this practice has been followed to the present day.

The Ingham Rotary Club and the Ingham Apex Club were the only service clubs in full operation and conducted the next two festivals with the limited resources of its own members before being joined by the Ingham Lions Club in 1963. By 1964, the number of service clubs in the district had increased and the organising body was represented by a total of six clubs.

The 1960 Maraka committee decided that the introduction of a Queen competition would be appropriate and this competition has been conducted annually ever since. Ingham's first Maraka Queen was Gail Reitano who was one of 27 entrants.

Ingham Apex Clubs records covering the 1961 period show the Presidents report stated "... Maraka Festival (pleasant evening) run in conjunction with Rotary ... is run ... to give people of our district a good time once a year as an appreciation for their support with other schemes"

"The (1961) festival held on Saturday night includes the following - Mannequin Parade, Gymnastics Display, Ham Wheels, Knock'ems, Pie Eating Contest, Hunt for coins in a heap of sawdust, Barbecue, Shooting Gallery, 440 yards Wheelbarrow Derby, Dancing on a portable floor, a Toad Race, and the highlight of the evening, a Queen Competition"

The 1962 Maraka festival introduced the "Spot the Window" competition attracting more than 800 entries.

The cane loading contest was introduced in the bed of Palm Creek in 1962 and some 2000 persons watched Macknade entrant, Johnny Cavarelli win the first championship taking 22 minutes to shoulder load his truck, leaving only 26 stalks behind. Another spectacular event at the time was the Basque weight lifting.

Maraka 1964 was planned as a grand occasion to form the highlight of the centenary of the first European entry into the Valley with the passage of George Elphinstone Dalrymple and his party from Cardwell to the Valley of Lagoons. The 1964 festival saw the first of the now regular fireworks displays of the Foti family arranged as a special feature.

The morning of Saturday September 8 1964, saw 10 inches of rain falling by noon. Cane set out early for the loading contest floated off down Palm Creek and dozens of procession floats became more and more bedraggled. The festival was abandoned for that day and was rescheduled for October 24. Sixty-six dried out and refurbished floats took part in the afternoon procession.

Apex Float in the 1964 Procession at Palm Terrace.
(Note the old State School buildings in the botanical gardens in the background)

The 1967 Maraka Festival saw the introduction of a chain-sawing contest. Cane loading was still in, but there was more interest in another new event, tossing the bag of sugar.

With the Maraka Queen contest growing, in community interest, the judging scope was widened in 1968 with the staging of the first official Maraka Ball at the Drill Hall and the cosmopolitan background of the community was recognised with a National Arts and Crafts Display in the Library Hall bringing out a superb array of family heirlooms.

Entrants at the first Maraka Ball - 1968

The swing to mechanical harvesting and the loss of manual cutters had the cane loading and the Basque weight lifting dropped from the 1970 Maraka program, though fertiliser stacking came in 1971.

The Maraka Concert became a feature in 1972 and pottery making was also included in the Maraka program. The Pet Parade and Fence Painting was introduced, while seemingly every child in the district who owned a bicycle took part in the Decorated Bicycle Parade.

The Ingham Apex Maraka Big Top Ball in 1973 attracted 1,000 people and utilised the Drill Hall and a huge marquee. The Maraka Procession was back again after an absence of a few years with an emphasis on the physical with a 6,000 metre foot race, a National Fitness Display and a Tavern Derby (literally a Pub Run).

The Tagged Fishing Contest at Taylors Beach was introduced in 1974. No one landed the prize fish on the day, but the challenge has evolved in the annual Fisherama.

CSR management and workforce members delighted the children of the district in 1978 with the availability of the restored Homebush steam loco and Deauville carriage to provide free rides "into the past". The gesture has been repeated annually since thanks to CSR and the voluntary crew.

CSR Steam Train Homebush in full steam

The 1997 Maraka festival saw the successful introduction of the Maraka Princess Quest with ten entrants taking part and Katie Irvin being named the winner.

Over the past years, the Maraka program has stabilised into the present format with only limited changes year by year.

The principal aim of Maraka is to give something back to the community that has supported the various service clubs throughout the year.

Rotary Club of Ingham	Lower Herbert-Halifax Lions Club	Apex Club of Herbert River	JCI Ingham	Lions Club of Ingham	Rotary Club of Herbert River

Copyright © 2009 Maraka Committee. All rights reserved.
Revised: 09/22/09.

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