Avoca Beach
What's on at Avoca Beach?
There'll be performances on the stage near the Surf Club, an art exhibitions upstairs at the Surf Club, ephemeral sculptures along the beach and community fair at Hunter Park most of the day.
2018 Program
Around the Surf Club
Art is REALLY BIG at Avoca. Acclaimed local artists will be exhibiting in the Connections exhibition upstairs in the Surf Club and some of Australia's finest sculptors will be presenting their works in the Ephemera exhibition on the beach.
- Connections Exhibition (in the Surf Club)
- Ephemera Sculpture (on the beach)
- Registration & Information Desk
- Red Hot Papas – Roving Minstrels (10am - 11am)
- Candy Striped Circus – Minstrels (11.30am - 12.30pm)
And check out the 5 Lands Art Trail website, which features some of the experienced artists who participate annually in the 5 Lands Walk exhibitions. These artists open their studios several times a year so you can meet them in their own space and find out how they make art!
2019 Program - TBA
History of Avoca
Avoca Beach is named after the Irish village, Avoca, in County Wicklow, famous as the location for the filming of the TV series Ballykissangel. The name means "great estuary" or "where the river meets the sea". Interestingly, "Bulbararong", the Aboriginal name for this bay, has a similar meaning.
Bulbararong was a popular gathering place for the Aboriginal people before white settlement. In the place now known as Hunter Park, is the site of a midden, which provides evidence of a feasting place. So perhaps it's no surprise that today this ancient gathering place hosts both the Picture Theatre and the Surf Club, twin hubs of community life at Avoca Beach.
In 1830, 640 acres were granted to Irish army officer John Moore. who built a house opposite Avoca Lake and planted vines, cereals and fruit trees. Timber was later felled from the area and was transported by tram to a mill at Terrigal via what is now Tramway Road in North Avoca. Citrus and banana crops were also grown.
Avoca Beach today is a busy coastal resort village with cafés and restaurants, safe swimming and surfing. It's especially notable for its active artistic community, many of whom will be exhibiting in the Connections exhibition upstairs in the Surf Club, showing their sculptures in the Ephemera exhibition on the beach or painting outdoors, live at Terrigal.
Avoca Beach is named after the Irish village, Avoca, in County Wicklow, famous as the location for the filming of the TV series Ballykissangel. The name means "great estuary" or "where the river meets the sea". Interestingly, "Bulbararong", the Aboriginal name for this bay, has a similar meaning.
Bulbararong was a popular gathering place for the Aboriginal people before white settlement. In the place now known as Hunter Park, is the site of a midden, which provides evidence of a feasting place. So perhaps it's no surprise that today this ancient gathering place hosts both the Picture Theatre and the Surf Club, twin hubs of community life at Avoca Beach.
In 1830, 640 acres were granted to Irish army officer John Moore. who built a house opposite Avoca Lake and planted vines, cereals and fruit trees. Timber was later felled from the area and was transported by tram to a mill at Terrigal via what is now Tramway Road in North Avoca. Citrus and banana crops were also grown.
Avoca Beach today is a busy coastal resort village with cafés and restaurants, safe swimming and surfing. It's especially notable for its active artistic community, many of whom will be exhibiting in the Connections exhibition upstairs in the Surf Club, showing their sculptures in the Ephemera exhibition on the beach or painting outdoors, live at Terrigal.
Willemina Villari (detail) and Jane Gillings (detail)
|
Nicola Read
|
Gary Deirmendjian
|
