Transformations: Image, Time and Landscape surveys 27 years of work by Hill End-based artist Nicole Welch. Throughout her career and across mediums, her work is rich with symbolism, tension, and transformation and explores the relationships between landscape, the body, time, and memory. Welch creates works that are at once visually beautiful and conceptually challenging.
A significant moment in her relationship between landscape and body was falling ill in 2004 and being forced to return from London to her hometown of Bathurst. A tension which revealed itself as a new creative connection to this region, its landscape, ecology and history. Short trips into the landscape around the Central West nurtured Welch both emotionally and physically, allowing her to be drawn out of herself and into the forests, rivers and gorges and connecting her back to her own existence. Since 2012 she has worked primarily in photography and digital media creating images in remote bushland locations, bringing together installation, performance, and site-responsive research to create images that reveal the layered cultural, environmental and personal narratives embedded within place. Here the historical references play a different role, where Welch observes the objects from her past with a new national perspective and contends with the colonial history of Australia.
BRAG presents a small survey of personal work and invites us into the private collection of local artist Graham Lupp, providing a glimpse of studies made during formative moments and experiences of the artist's life. The exhibition offers a beautiful journey of reflection, retrospection and poignant perspectives, celebrating vulnerability and wisdom across five decades of practice.
Realism has always been central to Lupp's work, starting in the 70s as an art student in London and has evolved through the years as playful encounters. Extensive travel in the 90s inspired a new aesthetic — blending images of new experiences overseas with familiar subjects, mostly landscapes, derived from the Bathurst region. Apart from years of studying architecture in Sydney and fine art in London, Lupp has lived continuously in his hometown of Bathurst and developed a lifelong passion for the landscape of the district and has dedicated himself to its meticulous study. In later years this aesthetic has slowly given way to a more expressive approach, in an endeavour to understand the sublime through a deep-seated emotional connection to a childhood spent in the Australian bush.
This is a journey through practice, viewed from a vantage point of five decades. Many of these studies have led to larger paintings now held in major public and private collections, but for Lupp these studies are of the greatest value.
Bathurst Harness Racing Club holds 56 race meetings in the season, with predominantly Wednesday Night meetings. Restaurant, Bar and TAB are available.
Their feature meetings are the Gold Crown Carnival in March and the Shirley Turnbull Night on Boxing Night annually.
The Gold crown features six race meetings and many social events such as Ladies Day, Calcutta and Honouree Dinner. The highlight on the track is the two- and three-year-old finals on the last Saturday night of March.
The Boxing Night meet also runs plenty of off-track entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.
A fun evening soiree surrounded by garden blooms, music, and a historic collection.
Join a celebratory spring soiree as we celebrate 50 years since Miss Ida Traill gifted this beautiful heritage listed house and grounds in the heart of Bathurst to the National Trust of Australia NSW.
Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine and refreshments in the glorious seasonal garden.
Admire the heritage plantings and roses, listen to classical live music and wander through the historic house from a bygone era where guides will discuss highlights from the outstanding collection of art, ceramics and furniture.
A free, fun, and friendly weekly five-kilometre community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate, it's up to you.
It's you against the clock every Saturday morning, taking place at Bicentennial Park, William and Stanley Streets.
Please register before you first come along. Only ever register with Parkrun once and don't forget to bring a scannable copy of your barcode.
This annual event is held on the last weekend of October of each year.
The 10 gardens opened in the Bathurst area range from large country gardens to small suburban gardens with lots of variations in between.
Enjoy live music, market stalls and displays. Raising monies for local charities.
Join Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) for a guided tour of their current exhibitions!
Main Gallery - Transformations: Image, Time & Landscape | Nicole Welch: A Mid-Career Survey
Foyer Gallery - Five Decades: Studies in Realism | Graham Lupp.
All welcome, bookings essential.
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) celebrates the breadth of creativity in their own backyard this Spring with two new exhibitions by Central West NSW artists. In the Main Gallery, a mid-career survey by Hill-End based Nicole Welch, Transformations: Image, Time and Landscape surveys 27 years of practice exploring relationships between landscape, the body, and memory. In the Foyer Gallery, Five Decades: Studies in Realism by Bathurst-based Graham Lupp presents an exclusive look at studies made by the artist during formative moments of his expansive career.
Head to Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) every Sunday for a free, self-guided sketch session in their current exhibitions!
Materials and stool provided
Self-guided session
No experience required, no pressure!
Transformations: Image, Time and Landscape
Nicole Welch: A Mid-Career Survey
Transformations: Image, Time and Landscape surveys 27 years of work by Hill End-based artist Nicole Welch. Throughout her career and across mediums, her work is rich with symbolism, tension, and transformation and explores the relationships between landscape, the body, time, and memory. Welch creates works that are at once visually beautiful and conceptually challenging. Curated by Richard Perram OAM.
Five Decades: Studies in Realism
Graham Lupp
Five decades presents a small survey of personal work and invites us into the private collection of local artist Graham Lupp OAM, providing a unique glimpse of studies made during formative moments and experiences of the artist's life. The exhibition offers a beautiful journey of reflection, retrospection and poignant perspectives, celebrating vulnerability and wisdom across five decades of practice.
A collective of artists - painters, potters and sculptors, in and around Bathurst who open their studio doors to the public to exhibit their work and provide a first hand experience of their approach to their chosen subject.
Rockley is an historical village 30 minutes south of Bathurst. Nine cold climate gardens will be open to the public and a professionally curated exhibition of artworks will be displayed in the School of Arts Hall in Hill Street.
There will be music in the historic church plus wine tastings from local vineyards, market stalls and plant sales. Good food and beverages will be available.
The Kaleidoscope Festival is a brand-new celebration of the many cultures, people, food, music and traditions that make Bathurst a welcoming and diverse community.
The free community event will feature live entertainment, international cuisine, cultural performances, market stalls, interactive workshops and family-friendly activities.
An initiative of Bathurst Regional Council. The Kaleidoscope Festival is proudly supported by the NSW Government through Multicultural NSW.
Embark on a captivating musical journey with Postcards – Melodies from Afar, a concert that blends jazz, classical, folk and world music in a truly unique experience. From the fierce folky jazz of Django Reinhardt's Seul ce soir to the romantic bossa nova of Antônio Carlos Jobim's Corcovado, this performance explores the depth and beauty of diverse musical traditions.
Original compositions like Hora De Nundah, inspired by Balkan rhythms, and N'Awlins, capturing the essence of New Orleans jazz, are paired with traditional Swedish folk songs like Kristallen den fina and Halling Från Ekshärad.
Experience a beautiful arrangement that intertwines Chopin's Prelude in E minor with Jobim's How Insensitive, effortlessly blending classical and bossa nova. Bie Mir Bistu Shein is a beloved Yiddish classic that evokes a nostalgic charm, while the lively rhythms of Farmors Brudpolska transports you across continents. The concert concludes with a brilliant arrangement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, celebrating the timeless appeal of Baroque music.
In the heart of Bathurst is Machattie Park.
Established in 1889 on the site of the former Bathurst Gaol, the park reflects the changing seasons of the Bathurst region. Whether you're seeking a shady spot for a summer picnic, admiring golden leaves in autumn, or enjoying blooming flowerbeds and cherry blossoms in spring, there is always something to discover.
Machattie Park is also of architectural significance, showcasing key elements of 19th-century Victorian design. These can be seen in its layout, as well as features such as the bandstand, Caretaker's Cottage, Cargo Fountain, Fernery, and Lake Spencer.
Take a stroll through the Bathurst Fernery, home to a diverse collection of subtropical ferns and plants that would otherwise be unable to grow in the dry Bathurst climate.
Right next to the Begonia House right in the eastern section of Machattie Park you will find the Bathurst Fernery. Built in 1890, it is one of the oldest standing structures in Machattie Park and has remained relatively unchanged externally despite several changes to the fernery on the inside.
On the front entrance to the fernery you will find a plaque dedicated to Charles Darwin's visit to Bathurst in 1836, and on the inside several marble statues that were originally loaned by the National Art Gallery, Sydney in 1901. The fernery is open year round outside of maintenance periods.
Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre is Bathurst's leading destination for live music, theatre and events.
The venue features a professional 639 seat proscenium arch theatre, alongside a versatile showroom, function rooms and spacious foyer areas. From major touring productions and concerts to conferences, exhibitions and trade shows, BMEC hosts a diverse year-round program for audiences and event organisers alike.
Guests can enjoy fully licensed bars offering drinks and light refreshments, with a range of cafés, restaurants and eateries just moments away in central Bathurst, making it easy to plan dinner or drinks before or after a show.
Overflowing with historical artefacts concerning the history and development of the Bathurst Region, the Bathurst District Historical Museum has changing regular exhibitions on historically relevant local themes.
They also manage a Bookshop, Research Rooms, Old Government Cottage with its heritage garden and over 23000 items in their collection.
The Society holds musters with a variety of guest speakers on the third Thursday of each month except for December and January. These talks are free and open to the public.
The Bathurst Courthouse is one of Australia's best examples of Victorian era public architecture in NSW. It is a popular attraction for visitors interested in the history, heritage and architecture of Bathurst.
This magnificent building was opened on 16 July 1880 and is situated in the heart of the city. It is listed by the National Trust and was designed by James Barnet, who also designed the Bathurst Bowling Club (formerly the Police Barracks).
The courthouse is the regular venue for sittings of the court of petty sessions, district and supreme courts. For NSW Courts please call the phone number provided.
The east wing houses the Bathurst and District Historical Society Museum.
During the Autumn months from mid February to approximately the end of April, the iconic Begonia House in Machattie Park is alive with the blooming of over 90 variant hybrid species of begonia. From upright standing flowers, to pendulous and foliage begonias, the house is awash in vibrant colour and beauty.
Begonias have a seven-month growing period and they are re-potted twice during this time, being rather a labour intensive project for the most brilliant display. The flowers only last a short time so make sure to plan your trip to see the Begonia House.
The Bathurst Begonia House sits on the eastern side of Machattie Park next to the Fernery.
Over much of the past two centuries, the very heart of Bathurst has been the historic Town Square, a public space in the very heart of this vibrant regional city.
Although Surveyor General Mitchell’s 1833 design of a large open space with a single church at its centre was never fully realised - a unique symbolic space was created; as much by the spirit of the citizens of Bathurst as by any map or plan.
Since the early 1830s it has been within this central space that Bathurstians have chosen to gather, trade, and pray. Where learning and culture have blossomed. Where celebrations, remembrances and events have been, and continue to, take place. A special place where the community congregates and shares.
From gold rushes and bushrangers - to the vibrant modern regional centre of today, soak up the atmosphere and take your time as you discover the fascinating Bathurst Town Square.
Swing by the Gothic building that was once Bathurst Public School – today it houses the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum. Listen to the famous Bathurst War Memorial Carillon in the centre of Kings Parade chime each quarter-hour and play a tune at noon and 1pm daily.
Watch the ducks paddling in the Victorian-era Machattie Park and admire the stunning gardens, the fernery and the ornate band rotunda.
Officially opened on Armistice Day in 1933, the Bathurst War Memorial Carillon, located in Kings Parade in the heart of the city, stands as a tribute to the men and women of the region who served in World War I.
In 1926, the carillon was chosen by the Bathurst community as the most appropriate memorial to honour the fallen: what followed were years of fundraising, including a penny drive and a Buy-a-Brick campaign. As money was raised, the tower, designed by architect John Drummond Moore, started to take shape. In the end, 212,000 local red bricks were used in its construction, with the last brick laid on April 24, 1933.
In the early 2000s, the memorial underwent renovations: the original gas-fired Eternal Flame, installed in 1965, was replaced by a 750kg LED bronze sculpture designed by Australian artist Terrance Plowright. A clavier was also installed, enabling the bells to be heard with their full dynamic range for the first time.
Those bells play a tune each day at noon and 1pm, as well as chiming briefly every 15 minutes to mark the hour.
The Bathurst War Memorial Carillon is one of only three carillons in Australia, alongside the Canberra National Carillon and the Sydney University War Memorial Carillon.
Soak up some farmhouse and country charm at The Barn Bathurst - your one stop shop for farmhouse inspired gifts, homewares and garden ware. Located in the heritage-listed Webb Building, The Barn is a unique blend of locally sourced finds and popular farmhouse items that celebrate our quintessential country lifestyle. A must visit on your next visit to Bathurst.
Are you ready for a killer event in the Bathurst? Hosted Murder Mysteries are fancy-dress parties on steroids!
The Murder Master® is the host who will turn your corporate function or private party at Keystone est. 1889 into an utterly unique and memorable event.
You and your fellow suspects will be embroiled in a dastardly murder. Everyone will fight to establish their alibis and prove innocence while solving the crime and discovering 'whodunnit'.
There will be plenty of finger-pointing, backstabbing, blackmail and unbridled skulduggery.
The Keystone is a beautiful Victorian Theatre and Event venue… the perfect place for your Murder Mystery event. with the atmosphere of a bygone era of decadence and splendour. Trade insults and accuse your friends, family or colleagues of heinous murder in this stunning venue.
If you're looking for a venue with ambience and style for your next Murder Mystery, it's very hard to find another venue that surpasses this exquisite building.
The Murder Master® has hosted quite a few successful events here; why not hold your private party or corporate event here? Great service and ambience… perfect for your Murderous Plans.
Perfect for 40-200 Suspects
Get a group of friends together and invite the Murder Master® for some homicidal hilarity and high-jinx whodunnit!
Kings Parade is an important focal point in the centre of Bathurst. Formerly a market building (1869) selling fruit, poultry and sites of rallies, political debates and auctions. Demolished in 1909 to make way for Kings Parade.
In the centre of Kings Parade stands the Bathurst War Memorial Carillon (1933). A memorial to the men of Bathurst and District who served in World War 1, and now commemorates those who have served in other conflicts in which Australia has been involved. And while meandering through the park you will hear one of the 40 delightful tunes of the carillon.
Evans Memorial is situated on the George Street end of the park, this is in memory of Survey George Evans who found a crossing through the Blue Mountains in 1813. And situated on the William Street end of the park, is the Soldiers Memorial, or South African (Boer) War Memorial (1909).
The garden beds of the park are forever changing with seasonal flowers. Springtime, the cherry trees are in their full glory. Beautifully kept lawns to play and picnic and bench chairs to sit and enjoy the beauty of Kings Parade.
You will find a brochure of two at the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre to guide you around.
Discover the Story of Bathurst, a self-guided heritage experience comprising 14 interpretive panels along the Robin McLachlan Heritage Walk.
Located around the Bathurst Town Square, the experience explores Wiradjuri heritage, the Bathurst War of Resistance, European settlement, agriculture, gold, bushrangers, transport, education, industry, motorsport, Ben Chifley and Bathurst's development as a modern regional city.
What makes the experience distinctive is that the story unfolds where much of the history happened. Visitors experience Bathurst's streets, buildings and landmarks as a living heritage setting rather than encountering the story only inside a museum.
