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Our Guide to the Oatlands Heritage & Bullock Festival

  • Oatlands Heritage & Bullock Festival

Nestled in the heart of Tasmania lies the quaint and charming town of Oatlands, known for its rich heritage and vibrant community spirit.

Each year, the town comes alive with the Heritage and Bullock Festival, a two-day celebration that showcases the best of Oatlands’ unique culture and history. With the 2024 festival fast approaching, visitors from far and wide are gearing up for a weekend of fun, food, and festivities.

From traditional bullock teams to vintage car displays, market stalls, and more, the Heritage and Bullock Festival is a must-attend event for anyone who wants to experience the magic of Tasmania’s rural heritage. So mark your calendars for the 10th and 11th of August 2024 and get ready to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and flavours of Oatlands at this iconic event.

Oatlands Heritage & Bullock Festival

10th & 11th of August 2024

Oatlands, Tasmania, 7120

Heritage and Bullock Festival on Facebook
Discover the Heritage Highway
Heritage and Bullock Festival

Festival Information

When: Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 August 2024, 10am – 4pm each day.

Where: Oatlands (around a 1 hour drive north from Hobart or a 1.5 hour drive south from Launceston)

Entry: Free

The festival is held throughout the town, including inside various charming heritage buildings. Don’t miss the action in Callington Park, located behind the Main Street next to Lake Dulverton. To truly embrace the festival spirit, dress up in traditional clothing to join in the fun. Keep an eye out for the Town Crier who is sure to be dressed to impress.

Event Map & Program: Download the 2024 Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival Event Map and Program Guide.

Download Map & Program Guide
Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival
Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival
Oatlands Heritage & Bullock Festival

What’s on

Step back in time and celebrate the heritage skills, trades, and artisans Oatlands is famous for. Come and see the Bullock team in action, street parades, vintage machinery, steam engines, fly fishing, leather workers, spinners, weavers, theatrical performances, heritage trades, food stalls, and much more. 10am—4pm each day at Callington Park.

The Street Parade

The streets will come alive with the Heritage and Bullock Festival parade. Feel like you’ve been transported back in time with the bullocks, horses, steam engines and heritage vehicles.

2024 Heritage and Bullock Festival Highlights:

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival
Brian Fish and his team of working bullocks will be a highlight as they make their way down High Street as part of the parade starting at 10.30 each day. The team will also be performing working demonstrations throughout the festival in Callington Park. Bullock drays were a familiar sight in Australia during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The slow, labouring bullocks were the backbone of Australia’s colonial workforce, transporting heavy goods such as wool, wheat, timber etc. Bullock teams travelled about 15 kilometres per day, ranging from 12 to as many as 30 bullocks.
Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Almost Heaven Clydesdales – Experience the beauty and power of a Clydesdale horse! Take a unique horse-drawn wagon ride and immerse yourself in the rich heritage of these majestic animals.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Steam Engines and Machinery

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Athol and his crew from the R.T. Fish Bakery are preparing to fire up the bakers’ oven (c. 1800s) in the Commissariat. Come and grab a loaf of freshly baked bread, available from 10:00 a.m. each day. It is $5 a loaf—cash sales only.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Meriki’s Home Made and Coal River Apiaries will be having a stall in the Barrack Street Carpark during the Festival.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival
Come and watch the Line Dancers in action, they will be performing in Barrack Street Carpark on Saturday at noon
Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Located in Barrack Street Carpark during the Festival. Has your great grandma/grandpa been using something that you’ve wondered how it worked without electricity? From an eggbeater to a steam powered tractor and everything in between, these answers and more can be found by talking to any of our members.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

All are welcome to visit the Clay and Play area. Get your hands into some earthy clay for a bit of old-fashioned fun.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

This year the quilts will be displayed at 68 High Street. Wander in and take a look!

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival
The inaugural Heritage & Bullock Festival Shearing and Wool Handling Competition will be held on Saturday, August 10th. It will be run under Sport Shear Australia rules and add a seventh event to the Sport Shear Tasmania Circuit. Shearing and wool handling events will be run throughout the day. Entries are now open for all divisions.
Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Toffeemont alpacas is a small boutique Huacaya alpaca farm situated on the sunny south east coast of Tasmania. Currently home to approx 70 alpacas.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Henry on his Penny Farthing will be in the parade.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival
Come along to the Heritage & Bullock Festival Oatlands and say hi 👋 We might even join in on the parade 😉
Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Heritage Horn & Iron will be in Callington Park.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

John Mathew will be displaying his superb model horse-drawn carriages, buggies and wagons in the Gay Street Hall.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival
Visit Erica & David Norgrove in Gay Street Hall, they will be exhibiting their pram collection.
Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival
Tania Burbury Leatherwork will be displaying in the Council Chambers. Tania is a local leather artist who creates unique one-of-a-kind leather pieces. She is super passionate about her work and has travelled Australia and the US to spend time and learn from some amazing instructors.
Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

James Jones – Bamboo Fly Rod Maker located with the Dulverton Anglers in Barrack Street Car Park.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Meriki’s Home Made and Coal River Apiaries will be having a stall in the Barrack Street Carpark during the Festival.

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

Dive into Tasmania’s maritime heritage with The Wooden Boat Centre. Boat Centre volunteer and expert canoe builder Pete will demonstrate the making of a traditional Trout Landing Net using Tasmanian Huon Pine and historic steam bending techniques. 

Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival
Tim Sheed, Harp Maker & Luthier, will be demonstrating the making of a traditional Harp using all Australian Timbers. Visit Tim at 79 High Street, Oatlands.
Oatlands Heritage and Bullock Festival

The Handweavers Spinners and Dyers Guild Tasmania aims to promote the crafts of handweaving, spinning, dyeing, felting and related skills in Tasmania; If you’ve always wanted to have a go at spinning or weaving, come along to the Council Chambers, have a chat and have a go.

Oatlands Pancakes and Crepes Café

Indulge in Old fashioned Cream Buns (the absolute best in Tasmania), a mouth-watering range of Pies, tempting Sausage Rolls, Fresh Bread, Cakes, Slices and Dutch Pancakes.

Sitting snugly next to the Oatlands Pancakes and Crepes Café, 85 High Street Oatlands, this will be a very tempting takeaway option whilst watching the Bullock Parade or wandering this historic Georgian Village whilst you take in the range of heritage crafts, skills and artisan products at the various key locations.

This is real homestyle baking at its finest. Light and fluffy bread, buttery pastry and delectable fillings. Open 8.00am till late each festival day. You can also enjoy a Special Heritage Menu in the café.

Dutch Pancakes Cone
Dutch Pancakes Cone
Oatlands Pancakes and Crepes Bread
Oatlands Pancakes and Crepes Cream Bun
Oatlands Heritage & Bullock Festival
Oatlands Heritage & Bullock Festival
Oatlands Heritage & Bullock Festival

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We acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their enduring custodianship of lutruwita / Tasmania. We honour 40,000 years of uninterrupted care, protection and belonging to these islands, before the invasion and colonisation of European settlement. As a destination that welcomes visitors to these lands, we acknowledge our responsibility to represent to our visitors, Tasmania’s deep and complex history, fully, respectfully and truthfully.

We acknowledge the Aboriginal people who continue to care for this country today. We pay our respects to their elders, past and present. We honour their stories, songs, art, and culture, and their aspirations for the future of their people and these lands. We respectfully ask that tourism be a part of that future.

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