31-556: The Melbourne Fringe Festival is an annual independent arts festival in Melbourne, Australia, usually over three weeks from late September to early October. Held since 1982, the Festival includes a wide variety of art forms, including theatre, comedy, music, performance art, design, film, cabaret, digital art, and circus. Over 300 shows are held at over 100 venues from bars, clubs and independent theatres to high-profile locations. The festival
62-591: A "Lord Mayor's houseboat", cycling race, tennis at Kooyong, concerts including performances by the Victorian Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic choir, crowning of the Queen of Moomba and riverside carnival. 25,000 turned out to watch the inaugural Moomba parade down Swanston Street. The first Moomba was heavily criticised by Melbourne's conservative establishment, including the Anglican Church, which at
93-428: A "court jester" was also named to accompany the king. In 1988, a gender-neutral Moomba Monarch position was established. Winners are typically celebrities and may be any gender. The first was television presenter Jo Pearson . In 1999 the tradition ended when clowns Zig and Zag were appointed. After it was revealed that, years before, Zig (Jack Perry) had pleaded guilty to child molestation, they were dethroned. In 2010
124-696: A forecast of extremely hot weather caused the Moomba Parade to be cancelled. In 1951, Australia celebrated fifty years of Federation with a parade and the staging of the theatre production An Aboriginal Moomba: Out of the Dark . In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II visited the city for the first time as reigning monarch, and the City Development Association and the Melbourne City Council proposed an autumn carnival to be called "Moomba". A committee
155-435: A joke. In 1981 Barry Blake analysed the word as combining as mum (anus) and –ba , a locative suffix meaning 'at, in, on'. This would give the sense of 'up your bum/arse'. Onus himself, according to his daughter-in-law, who said she had heard the story from Onus's wife Mary, had picked up the word from a word list of indigenous terms. Some say he did it to get back at the city council for having deliberately upstaged
186-551: A number of smaller local acts. In 2012, performers included Tex Perkins and Daryl Braithwaite . Eckersley, M. 2012. 'Australian Indigenous Drama'. Tasman Press. Altona. Australian Aborigines%27 League The Australian Aborigines' League was established in Melbourne , Australia, in 1933 by William Cooper and others, including Margaret Tucker , Eric Onus , Anna and Caleb Morgan , and Shadrach James (son of Thomas Shadrach James and brother-in-law of Cooper ). Cooper
217-757: A week-long event coinciding with Moomba and presenting 120 artists at some 25 locations across Melbourne. In 1984, the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds expanded to include Melbourne, and Melbourne's Fringe Arts Network became the Melbourne Piccolo Spoleto Fringe Festival. The Melbourne International Festival of the Arts emerged from the Spoleto Festival as a result, and in 1986, the Fringe Arts Network reclaimed its independence from Spoleto and reoriented itself as Melbourne Fringe. In 2002,
248-513: Is celebrated over four days, incorporating the Labour Day long weekend, from Friday to the second Monday in March. Moomba is culturally important to Melbourne, having been celebrated since 1955, and regularly attracts up to a million people, with a record attendance of 3.8 million (2.3 million tourists) set in 2018. In 2003, the event was renamed Melbourne Moomba Waterfest. Traditional events include
279-407: Is open-access and artists produce shows independently. Melbourne Fringe also funds and produces its own free events. The Fringe Arts Network was formed in 1982, aiming to raise public and government awareness of alternative arts in Melbourne. The Network offered support such as venue advice, shared resources and advocacy. Fringe Arts Network's inaugural event was a mini-festival, followed in 1983 by
310-422: Is the traditional home of the floats and spine of the city and horse- or tractor-drawn floats use the tram tracks. Decorated trams are sometimes also featured. In 2001, the parade came under media controversy when a French Troupe and Melbourne's Snuff Puppets had floats with naked people covered in body paint. In 2024 the parade, in its 70th year, was cancelled due to a heatwave with forecast temperatures from
341-591: The Australian Parliament , among other requests. 1,814 signatures were collected on the petition, although it was reported that Cooper believed many Aboriginal people living on missions and reserves were too afraid to add their signature. In 1938 it joined the New South Wales -based Aborigines Progressive Association in staging a Day of Mourning on Australia Day (26 January) in Sydney to draw attention to
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#1732851573536372-613: The Fringe Hub moved to the renovated Trades Hall in Carlton. Melbourne Fringe also established a year-round program at its Trades Hall venue. 2021 saw the festival go virtual. Moomba Festival Moomba (also known as the Moomba Festival) is held annually in Melbourne , Australia. Run by the City of Melbourne , it is Australia's largest free community festival. The Melburnian tradition
403-646: The League also supported the mass walk-off at Cummeragunja Reserve , an Aboriginal reserve. On 6 December 1938, following the pogrom known as Kristallnacht in Germany, a delegation of League members, led by Cooper, went to the German consulate in Melbourne with a petition protesting against the "cruel persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi government of Germany". This was one of
434-788: The Melbourne Fringe began a Fringe Hub model which programmed a number of closely located venues and offered artists and audiences a central place to gather and network: the Fringe Club at the North Melbourne Town Hall . In 2006, the Melbourne Fringe Club moved upstairs into the North Melbourne Town Hall's Main Hall, with a free nightly Fringe Club program. The Fringe Hub also grew to the nearby Lithuanian Club. In 2019,
465-656: The Moomba parade, crowning of Moomba monarchs, fireworks displays, carnivals in the gardens along the river, river activities including watersports, water floats and the Birdman Rally , as well as live music and bands. In 2021, the usual Moomba was cancelled by Melbourne City Council , for the first time ever, due to events and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia . However "Moomba 2.0" events were held on 5–8 March. In 2024
496-688: The Swan Street Bridge over the Yarra River . However it has been held only intermittently during Moomba's history. It was stopped for a number of years due to high levels of E. coli contamination of the Yarra. Subsequent clean-ups reduced pollution to acceptable levels and 2004 saw its return. In 2005, the rally was held in the new inner city park, Birrarung Marr , close to its traditional location. Moomba's performers have included international musical acts such as ABBA , Neil Diamond and AC/DC as well as
527-410: The beauty pageant was abolished. Notably, 1966 Moomba Queen Erica McMillan was killed in a car accident seven weeks after the festival, in the car which she had received as a prize for being voted Queen. Kings of Moomba were named beginning in 1967. The role was awarded to male celebrities. It too was abolished following the 1987 festival as the gender-neutral monarch was introduced. Occasionally,
558-422: The buzz back to Melbourne." There was ticketing and COVID-safe marshals at all sites. Moomba 2.0 was a COVID-safe event. A parade (or "procession") and floats through the streets of Melbourne have been a key part of the Moomba festival since its beginning. Each year it attracts over 100,000 people to Melbourne's city centre as well as being shown on free-to-air television in Melbourne. The first Moomba procession
589-480: The festival. The fireworks are above the Yarra river. A traditional carnival including a ferris wheel are held in the Alexandra Gardens along the river bank. In recent years, the carnival has extended to Birrarung Marr across the river. It is popular with children, and dagwood dogs and doughnut stands line the paths. Moomba particularly celebrates the Yarra River , which has been much maligned during
620-456: The high 30s to low 40s °C . The Moomba monarchy has been one of the most celebrated and controversial components of the festival over the years. The first Moomba monarchs were the Queens of Moomba, awarded from the inaugural festival in 1955. The role was decided by a beauty pageant competition. It was awarded for the last time in 1987, as a new gender-neutral monarch position was established and
651-540: The history of the city until the last few decades. Water skiing in the Yarra was introduced to Moomba in 1959. The tournament has both Junior and Open divisions, with the finals crowning the Moomba Masters Champions on Moomba Monday. The festival has featured Chinese dragon boats and the Moomba Showboat. Among the more popular events is the Birdman Rally , begun in 1976, which is traditionally held at
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#1732851573536682-686: The time claimed it was hedonistic and embodying social decay. Council responded to the criticism citing that Moomba was intended to be a festival for families and as such is reinforcing family values in society. One of the popular events associated with Moomba was the Herald Sun Outdoor Art Show in the Treasury Gardens . After the 2016 Moomba festival fireworks there was a large-scale brawl in and around Federation Square in Melbourne's Central Business District , largely between members of two gangs, Apex and Islander 23. In 2021
713-501: The tradition was restored, with Molly Meldrum and Kate Ceberano being named King and Queen of Moomba. On some occasions, non-celebrities have been named for various reasons. The Queen of the Pacific was a title contested by representatives from various countries and administrations from the Pacific and South-East Asian regions. It was decided by a beauty contest. The title was awarded from 1967 to 1977. The title of "Young Ambassador"
744-531: The traditional Labour Day march with a popular carnival. Lin Onus, his son, stated that indeed his father had intended to play a prank in passing on the word with this sense. The first Moomba was a 15-day festival officially opened on 12 March 1955 by the State Governor , Sir Dallas Brooks . The inaugural programme included a fireworks display, parade, vintage car display, Henley rowing regatta, river floats including
775-618: The treatment of Aborigines and to demand full citizenship and equal rights. Mr. W. Ferguson, organising secretary of the Aborigines' Progressive Association of New South Wales, said of the planned national day of mourning: "The aborigines do not want protection... We have been protected for 150 years, and look what has become of us. Scientists have studied us and written books about us as though we were some strange curiosities, but they have not prevented us from contracting tuberculosis and other diseases, which have wiped us out in thousands". In 1939
806-473: The usual Moomba events were cancelled by Melbourne City Council, for the first time ever, due to COVID-19 restrictions and Victoria's third lockdown in February. The Moomba Parade and the Birdman Rally were already cancelled. Instead of the normal festival attractions, Lord Mayor Sally Capp said Moomba 2.0 will be: "... a series of fun, family friendly events and attractions across the city that will help bring
837-432: Was awarded during part of the period during which no monarchs were named (1999 to 2009). It was first awarded in 2003. From approximately 1981 to 1988 there were also instances where Moomba included a Prince and Princess of Moomba designation consisting of two children chosen through a competition held by local radio station 3KZ . Fireworks are a big part of the Moomba festival and large displays occur on every night of
868-477: Was formed in July, 1954 to organise and fund the event, successfully allocating £10,000 to its inaugural running. Before the event's first year, controversy was created when Labor Councillor Frank Williams resigned from the committee, branding the planned carnival as a "Bourke street joke for the benefit of shopkeepers". A promotional theme song "Come to Melbourne for the Moomba" was written by Jack O'Hagan . The festival
899-437: Was held in 1955. It was first televised in 1957, the year after the Melbourne 1956 Olympics . The floats have an annual theme, usually an elaboration on "Let's get together and have fun", the avowed mission and vision statement of Moomba and are usually from sister cities (of which Melbourne has six), schools and community groups. They also promote some aspect of the arts , like singing, dancing, or design. Swanston Street
930-575: Was originally named Moomba by organisers in the belief it was a native word meaning 'let's get together and have fun.' Credit is usually given to Bill Onus , a unionist and member of the Australian Aborigines' League for proposing the term, which he used in a play, Aboriginal Moomba in 1951. In 1969 Luise Hercus glossed the word mum (rhyming with 'vroom') as meaning 'bottom, rump', and suggested mum-ba meant something like 'bottom and..', and had been introduced from Healesville usage as
961-401: Was secretary of the League. In a letter to the editor of The West Australian , Cooper wrote "The plea of our league is a fair deal for the dark race". The League campaigned for the repeal of discriminatory legislation and for programs to "uplift the aboriginal race". An early initiative by the League was to petition King George V in 1933 for Indigenous Australians to be represented in