Braidwood is seen nationally as an example of how country towns and regions respond to the legacy of nationally significant residents, past and present. Braidwood sits within countries of the Yuin nation and the Walbanja people who have been active consultants and participants in each of the previous Festivals.

The Two Fires Festival is a biennial festival of three days duration which began in 2005. The inaugural Festival was convened by the Globalism Institute at RMIT University of Melbourne and supported by the Australian Conservation Foundation, Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR), the Myer Foundation, the Australia Council’s Literature Board and the Australian National University (ANU).

The theme for 2009 is Coming Together, a celebration of creativity, diversity and commitment. There are several streams – environment, performance, visual art, music, poetry and literature, films and academic forums. The success of both the 2005 and 2007 Two Fires Festivals surpassed the hopes of everyone involved, attracting audience numbers in the vicinity of 1,200 per festival. In 2006 the Braidwood community formed a volunteer committee to convene subsequent festivals, with assistance from the Globalism Institute (RMIT).

The Southern Tablelands has built a reputation for work that combines sound artistic practise, environmental ethics and conservation activism. We draw from a national network of artists and advocates and other Australians passionate about the causes which Judith Wright espoused and progressed throughout her life.

“Judith Wright was a bright shining light who still guides us today. A woman with heroic courage who used her genius with words, in prose and poetry, to illuminate the most important issues for Australia. As a crusader for Indigenous and environmental ideals, she had no equal. She was a great writer, a great fighter, a great woman and a great Australian.” (Patrice Newell. Journalist, writer and conservationist.)

Contributed by Patricia Solomon