Coming events 2009

26 July 2009 (Sunday): Peek into the Past

10am to 3pm at Tocal Homestead. An old-fashioned family day out, a whole day of fun and nostalgia for all.

• ride in the cart with Bill the Clydesdale
• warm up by the blacksmith's forge
• see the calves being fed
• taste our homemade soup cooked on the wood stove
• try your hand at water divining
• beware of the bushrangers
• Delicious homemade refreshments available all day
• and much, much more...

Entry: adults $10, concession $8, children free.

12 & 13 Sept: Tocal's convicts come alive for History Week

Our convict past will come alive during History Week, with special guided tours of convict Tocal beginning at 1.30 and lasting about an hour.

150 men and boys lived and worked on Tocal as convicts between 1822 and 1840. A convict historian will conduct a guided tour of the site and reveal their heartbreaks and hopes, lifestyle, working conditions, exploits and punishments as they struggled for their freedom.

Tocal is one of the best heritage sites in Australia to illustrate convict life and work on a rural property. Much evidence of convict-era Tocal survives and provides a unique opportunity for visitors to experience our convict past.

Over 200 events will be held in New South Wales between 5 and 13 September 2009 to mark History Week. This year's theme is "Scandals, Crime and Corruption", and the guided walking tour of Tocal in the convict era fits the theme really well. (Note: the tour is only on 12 and 13 Sept).

Walkers should bring comfortable shoes and a hat. The tour itself is free but the normal admission fee applies for entry to the Tocal site.