Arts, culture and heritage
Arts
Mackay has an active and vibrant arts community and offers many initiatives for people to become involved. Initiatives include the Mackay Festival of Arts, Artspace Mackay's Public Exhibitions Program at Old Town Hall, and Art-Is-In. The Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens also has regular events and activities that often have an arts and cultural focus.
Information regarding arts and cultural activities is available from the quarterly publication of Regional Art-Is-In calendar of the arts and a fortnightly e-bulletin, Creative Mackay. These publications cover events across the district including neighbouring shires Belyando, Bowen, Broadsound, Mirani, Nebo, Peak Downs, Sarina and Whitsunday. You are encouraged to submit details of your event to be included in the calendar as a free listing. To lodge your event or to subscribe to Creative Mackay, contact Council's Arts Development Officer.
Council also supports the arts through a variety of grants and sponsorship opportunities such as the Regional Arts Development Fund.
Culture
Mackay Regional Council reaches its culturally diverse communities through a variety of initiatives. Initiatives include the State Government and Mackay Regional Council funded Local Area Multicultural Partnership (LAMP) program. This program produces the quarterly newsletter, Migrant Voice, and assists with facilitating projects with community and cultural groups. LAMP actively promotes Harmony Day (March 21 each year), Refugee Week (October) and assists to present the cultural celebration, Global Grooves in the Gardens (September).
Heritage
Mackay was named after George Mackay (father of John Mackay), whose pioneering spirit led him and his party from New England (NSW) to discover the Pioneer River valley in 1860. His registration of the first pastoral run in the district Greenmount in January 1862 opened the area to pastoral settlement.
Within a few years however, sugar became the dominant industry from the enterprising efforts of pioneers John Spiller, T. Henry FitzGerald and John Ewen Davidson. More recently, the hinterland coal mining developments and the tourist industry have added to Mackay’s solid economic base.
The prosperity and confidence of the city is reflected in the fine older buildings. Many of the city’s historic buildings were lost to devastating fires, to the notorious cyclone on January 1918 and to progress.
Local Heritage listed buildings can be found by accessing MiMAPS - select the Planning and Land Use Maps theme.
For a fresh approach to the story of Mackay's history since European settlement in 1860, why not read Mackay Revisited by K. H. Kennedy. Mackay Revisited is available for purchase from Council's Customer Service Centre, $32 softcover and $45 hardcover. Mackay Revisited is also available for loan from Mackay Regional Council libraries.
For a unique look at Mackay, why not take a Heritage Walk.