'Heritage Picnic' Celebrates Volunteers

The Mount Lyell Strahan Picnic will again return to West Strahan Beach on Thursday 26 January 2023 (Australia Day) for the 125^th annual Mount Lyell Strahan Picnic thanks entirely to the tireless work of volunteers.

The annual picnic was first held on 5 December 1887 on the banks of the King River, near Strahan. As a company-sponsored picnic, employees and families of the Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Co. would ride the Abt Railway through to Teepookana for the annual company picnic.

“The annual company picnic was instated and organised before statutory public holidays and was the Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Co.’s celebration and recognition of the employees, their hard work, and their families”, said Leigh Styles, Secretary of the Mount Lyell Strahan Picnic Committee Inc, organisers of the annual event.

While the west coast is a rugged and isolated place now, at the time of organising the picnic, the region’s only connection with the rest of Tasmania was through rail or onboard a ship out of the port of Strahan. Many west coast families found it easier to travel to Melbourne than elsewhere in Tasmania.

Following the closure of the Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Co. in 1994, a volunteer committee was formed tasked with keeping the annual picnic tradition alive. Today the volunteer committee, which meets regularly throughout the year, are responsible for organising the annual picnic, raising sponsorship, completing risk management, organising paperwork and planning for a successful picnic day.

This week is National Volunteer Week (16-22 May) and is Australia’s largest celebration of volunteering. The theme for this year’s National Volunteer Week is ‘Better Together’. Drawing on this theme, the Mount Lyell Strahan Picnic Committee Inc. are energised and encouraged by the way the annual Strahan Picnic brings the whole west coast community, ex-residents, and visitors alike together in Strahan on the Australia Day public holiday.

“Picnic day is such a great day for the whole west coast community,” said Styles. “We recognise the importance of the picnic and the responsibility that we have in delivering a quality experience for the west coast, and its many visitors, every year.”

The Mount Lyell Strahan Picnic is the only event held on Australia Day on the west coast. The day features activities for the whole family, but children are especially well looked after. Some of the events held at the Mount Lyell Picnic include a children’s bicycle race, sack race, egg and spoon race, hammer the nail, step the chain, gumboot throw, and the TasPort’s Picnic Gift.

The organising committee, with the generous support of the West Coast and Tasmanian business community, provide nearly 200 first-place prizes and over 70 second-place prizes on the day. The whole day is free of charge for attendees and includes free fairy floss, ice cream, juice, water, sweets, and fruit for attendees. Lunch is available to purchase from the Queenstown Lions Club and the Strahan CWA; both community groups report that picnic day is one of their major fundraisers.

“With the generous support of the west coast business community, no person attending the picnic leaves empty-handed” said Leigh Styles.

This National Volunteer Week, the Mount Lyell Strahan Picnic Committee are putting out the call for more volunteers. Roles include committee roles (meeting approximately six times per year and doing a lot of the behind the scenes work in preparation for the event and volunteer roles on the day itself. Committee members are responsible for pursuing sponsorship, maintaining the picnic’s social media presence, liaising with the council, organising paperwork (including insurance, risk management), marketing, organising raffle prizes, and asset management. No picnic day is possible without the work of volunteers who, on the day, erect marquees, set up the racetrack, run the chocolate wheel, cut the fruit, start the races, award the prizes, announce the races, record the times, and take the photos.

“We are putting out an invitation to all west coasters to join the Mount Lyell Strahan Picnic Committee and to roll up their sleeves to ensure that the Mount Lyell Strahan Picnic continues for at least another 125 years.” said Styles.

“Unfortunately, we have seen some sporting organisations, junior sports, and many community groups close down as a result of not having volunteer capacity.

“We know that people all over Tasmania love the Mount Lyell Strahan Picnic. Families plan on and travel to attend our event every year. We can keep the day free of charge for everyone thanks to the tireless work of our volunteers.

“It’s vital that we have a healthy pool of volunteers to roll up their sleeves to keep this tradition alive.

“The best way for people to contact the committee is through our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/StrahanPicnic) or keep an eye out for the Annual General Meeting in October. This is the perfect opportunity to come and meet the committee and join us as we plan for the 125^th picnic in 2023”.