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It’s Mulga Bill’s 114th Birthday So come and help us Celebrate and join in a Bike Ride. On the weekend of the 24th and 25th July the Annual Mulga Bill Festival is being held on the anniversary of the 114th Birthday of that famous cycling character MULGA BILL. Written by and immortalised by the great Australian Poet and Storyteller Banjo Paterson, the poem first saw the light of day and was published in the Sydney Mail Newspaper on the 25th July 1896 – the same day as the bike ride in 2010!! Banjo Paterson had returned from a trip to Bourke in NSW the previous year and Waltzing Matilda had just been published. It was on this trip that he also met the man who always claimed to be the original Mulga Bill himself - William Henry Lewis (1880 - 1968) - who owned a bright red bike he called “The Bird”. The Yeoval Mulga Bill Festival, which incorporates a bicycle ride to celebrate the fact that Banjo Paterson spent his early childhood years living in Yeoval, is now in its fifth successive year. This year there will be two rides leaving town at 10:30 am - one to the East and one to the West. The one to the East is for all the Mums, Dads, children and those all who love a leisurely country outing on a Bicycle. It goes out from town along the Bournewood Road which is asphalt and closed to all traffic for the duration of the ride. The road goes out for 17 kilometres and riders can turn around at any point and return to the finish. It passes through the fictitious towns of Conroy’s Gap, Eaglehawk, Walget, Castlereagh and Deadman’s Creek and every participant receives a special gift for competing. One lucky rider will receive a new Mountain Bike donated by Darryl Grant Cycles of Orange. Everyone is invited to participate - walkers welcome and will also share in the spoils. Entry is $5 for Adults, $2 for Children 16 years & under and $10 for a Family. The other ride is a handicap ride - a ‘training ride with effort’ - for the more accomplished riders and is restricted to 100 riders. Riders must be licenced CNSW riders of age division U17 and above. This ride heads West along the all asphalt newly constructed Renshaw - McGirr Way out to Baldry and return a distance of 42 kilometres. This is to be restricted to holders of an Official Cycle NSW Federation Licence and will have prizemoney of $1000 split up between placegetters and special gifts for all competitors. Prizemoney to be split up as follows: Fastest Female $100 Fastest Male $100 1st over the line: $150 2nd $110 3rd $100 4th $ 90 5th $ 80 6th $ 70 7th $ 60 8th $ 50 9th $ 40 10th $ 30 11th $ 10 12th $ 10
Please enter early as the rider numbers in this handicap race are limited to 100. You can enter the Baldry Ride only using the online form (email, fax or mail – details on form). The entry fee is $10. Bring your card with you on the day. It’s a lovely relaxing and enjoyable way to spend a morning and then take the afternoon to visit and enjoy the rest of the Festival with all bike ride participants receiving free admission at the Festival gate – don’t remove your wristband!! Grab a bite to eat, maybe a game of Mini Golf, check out the Artist painting the Ute and the Sculptor chipping out the Stone Billy Can - but be at the Stage area at 12:30pm for the drawing of the Lucky Rider who must be present to receive a new Mountain Bike from Darryl Grant Cycles in Orange. So come along and enjoy the celebrations for Mulga Bill’s 114th Birthday. Call Alf or Sharon on 6846 4478 at the office or 6846 4190 at home. Or email for more information alf@mulgabillfestival.com.au |
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Darryl Grant - Mulga Bill Bike Ride |
