Nymagee's Story

An outback music festival has attracted international artists to Nymagee, nearly doubled its population and increased the prospects for tourism and economic diversification in the district.

"Our population has almost doubled since the festival started over three years ago. We've had a 60 per cent increase in tourism. New industries have started up and Nymagee has a new lease of life."
Jay Dunne, Mallee Hen Cooperation Ltd, Nymagee

Facing the challenges

'Nymagee' is an indigenous word for 'small plain surrounded by hills'. It is in the centre of a triangle of three major towns: Cobar (100 km NW), Nyngan (120 km NE) and Condoblin (160 km SE)

There is a population of 62 in the village and 160 in the surrounding district.

the bush from the main stage

The local pub is home on most evenings to a mix of colourful characters. Graziers, shearers, wheat farmers, miners, local tradesmen, game hunters, musicians, geologists, journalists, politicians and a few urban escapees crowd in to offer some rather lively banter on the issues of the day.
A newspaper is rare, maybe once a week when the publican has just been to town, once in a while makes it a treat.

With little influence from the 'outside world' the community is generally left to shape its own destiny. Community spirit is strong and consists of a mix of experience and wisdom.

Severe floods covered the region in1999 and 2000 and now the district is affected by the worst drought in 100 years. The serviced village has been without an adequate, reliable local water supply for six months.

Festival sign outside Nymagee

Nymagee people on the whole tend to have a fairly positive, survival, 'go ahead' attitude. Given that the community is so small, its survival is reliant on maintaining or building its population.

Our project

In 1998 the community, which numbered 35, got together to work out how to build the population to ensure Nymagee had a future. One of the ideas was to stage an outback music festival to raise the profile of the town and district, to attract tourists and ultimately residents.

The first Nymagee Outback Music Festival was held in 1999. It was held again in 2000 and 2002. It's a feast of culture in the country, combining live entertainment and arts with new and emerging local and visiting artists. More than 100 musicians perform 60 hours of concerts, on four stages over three days and it includes workshops and theatre.

watching the mainstage

There's camping on site and the facilities include bush 'pit' toilets and showers. It's a real 'outback' experience. Nymagee's genuine off-the-beaten-track location is no obstacle to fans.

You can imagine the logistics of staging this large festival in a local paddock with no power in such a remote location.

The majority of community members contribute voluntarily to many aspects of the festivals' preparation, operation and shut down and also exhibit and perform at the festival. An array of community groups from surrounding towns is also involved.

What we've achieved

A web site and email has put Nymagee on the map globally, while the bush telegraph spreads the word closer to home.

In 1999 the festival drew 600 people, in 2000 attendance grew to 900. Despite the drought, the 2002 Festival drew in excess of 1,000 visitors to the village on the October long weekend.

Music lovers came from as far as Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Winton, Japan, Vanuatu, Samoa and the Netherlands to enjoy the event. The festival has become renowned and is now well established, attracting international artists as well as local talent.

The festival has had a huge impact on our tiny community. The population has increased from 35 to 62. There are no longer any empty houses and we have to bring in builders to build new houses.

There's been a 60 per cent increase in tourism - visitors continue to travel to Nymagee because of the arts and cultural image the event has generated.

girls on the back of the ute with guitars

New cottage industries are springing up and expanding - such as beekeeping, brush cutting, pine harvesting - a diversification from traditional farming and grazing. Most importantly there's been a big boost in community morale.

How the Townlife Development Program has helped

The Townlife Development Program (TDP) provided crucial funds to pay for the coordination and administration costs of the 2002 event.

After two years of considerable voluntary coordination, program funding supported this aspect of the third festival. The TDP consultant provided invaluable assistance with event management planning advice and support.

Important benefits gained include:

• improved skills
• experience
• great contacts
• new friends
• the Nymagee name firmly etched on the map.

What we're doing now

• Planning has begun towards the next event, scheduled for the October long weekend, 2004.
• Our Outback Home - Memories of Nymagee, a 155-page collection of stories highlighting Nymagee's history, was launched at the Nymagee Outback Music Festival and looks like going into a second print run.
• The prospects for tourism are increasing - beautification of the village, tree planting, improving the park, providing and mapping historical points of interest and natural attractions, collating accommodation options, improving and signposting public amenities, investigating methods of a good reliable water source - regardless of drought.

For further information

Contact	:	Jay Dunn, Mallee Hen Cooperation Ltd
Phone	:	02 6837 3667
Email	:	nymageefestival@bigpond.com