ConFest is an alternative bush campout festival held in the south-eastern states of Australia annually during and around Easter. The name 'ConFest' is a concatenation of the words Conference and Festival. ConFest was initiated at Cotter River (ACT) in 1976, and organised by the former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Dr. Jim Cairns, his private secretary Junie Morosi and David Ditchburn. It was and is intended to bring together the various subcultures of the alternative movement, and was billed as "An Exploration of Alternatives".
The event has been run almost continuously by the same cooperative society; The Down To Earth Co-op (DTE), based in Victoria. ConFest now hosts some 7000 participants annually for a 5-day festival over the Australia's Easter long weekend. The current ConFest Site is located to the West of Deniliquin and about 12 km from Moulamein in New South Wales. The area is open forest with the Edward River running along the southern side of the property.
Features Confest is typically divided up in to a number of discrete "villages" situated along a tree-lined river. These villages host a number of themed "spaces" where participants host workshops that are listed on an open agenda board displayed centrally in the festival. Workshops typically include yoga, meditation, permaculture, arts, music, and sexuality. However, many of the spaces are open to a range of eclectic and diverse topics. Villages also host shared kitchen spaces where communal cooking and food sharing is encouraged. The extensive Arts Village hosts many of the festivals major gathering points.
Villages surround a central open paddock which hosts a food and arts marketplace. This marketplace is the only location within the festival where money is used. It also hosts a number of activities such as a spontaneous choir and informal fashion parade. Surrounding the marketplace is a dedicated area for Fire Twirling, an information tent where participants can find out about the various villages and workshops, and a silent disco space.
Villages and notable spaces (Easter Confest 2019)
History The first ConFest was held in 1976 on a property at Cotter River near Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. It was initiated and organised by the former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Dr. Jim Cairns, his private secretary Junie Morosi and David Ditchburn.
In the early days, the organising committee rented space from various property owners, normally on or near the Murray River. However, due to dramatically increased insurance costs, it became increasingly difficult to locate suitable locations, until in the early years of the 21st century a property became available for purchase. After an extraordinary general meeting of DTE the decision was made to purchase the property, located near Gulpa Creek, south of Deniliquin, New South Wales. The site has outdoor camping facilities and has about of river frontage and about of space.
Event Timeline
+ Confest History Year Time of year Location Name/Notes Population estimate 1976 December Cotter River (ACT) Shaping Of Alternatives 9,000 - 10,000 1977/78 New Year Bredbo (Mt Oak, NSW) Focus for a Future 15000 1979 Autumn/Easter Berri SA (on Murray River) The Year of the Child 5,500-7,000 1980 January 25-28 French Island, Vic Cairns' event not supported by DTE 2000 1980 May Rainbow Region Gathering at Wytaliba NSW Largely rained out 1981 January 23-February 6 Glenlyon I (Daylesford) Welcoming and Exploring the New Age 3000 1982 January 28-February 1 Glenlyon II Viable Futures Through Loving Action 8000 1983/84 New Year Baringa I Wangaratta, Vic Making Alternatives Work 5000 1984/85 New Year Baringa II Peace 4000 1986 January 24-27 Glenlyon III 1986/87 New Year Glenlyon IV 1987/88 New Year Mt Oak NSW 10 year anniversary 1200 1988 Jan Permacroft (Seymour, Vic) Resurgence of the Call For a New Society 1988/89 New Year Walwa I On the Murray River 3500 1989/90 New Year Walwa II 4000 1990/91 New Year Walwa III Heal Thy Self - Thy Planet 5000 1992 Autumn/Easter Toc I (Tocumwal NSW) Continuing the Tradition. 1993 Autumn/Easter Toc II Weaving the Web. 1993/94 New Year Moama I 1994 Autumn/Easter Toc III 4000 1994/95 New Year Moama II 9000 1995/96 New Year Tocumwal Birdlands (diff site) A Birdlands Experience 9500 1996 Autumn/Easter oc IV Back to the River Harvest Festival 4000 1996/97 New Year Moama IV >6,000 1997 Autumn/Easter Moama V 5000 1997/98 New Year Gum Lodge I (Tocumwal) 6500 1998 Autumn/Easter Gum Lodge II 4000 1998/99 New Year Guilmartens I (Tocumwal) Universal Togetherness 3500 1999 Autumn/Easter Guilmartens II What's Alternative Now? 'unplugged' 2000 1999/00 New Year Guilmartens III (Tocumwal) 2500 2000 Autumn/Easter Guilmartens IV (Tocumwal) 2200 2000/01 New Year Gulpa Creek I (between Echuca & Deniliquin) Earth Odyssey 2500 2001 Autumn/Easter Gulpa Creek II (between Echuca & Deniliquin) 2500 2001/02 New Year Gulpa Creek III (between Echuca & Deniliquin) 3800 2002 Autumn/Easter Gulpa Creek IV (between Echuca & Deniliquin) 3800 2002/03 New Year Gulpa Creek Bylands I (between Echuca & Deniliquin) At 'new' DTE owned site 2500 2003 Autumn/Easter Gulpa Creek Bylands II (between Echuca & Deniliquin) 3200 2003/04 New Year Gulpa Creek Bylands III (between Echuca & Deniliquin) 2,200? 2004 Autumn/Easter Gulpa Creek Bylands IV (between Echuca & Deniliquin) 3200 2004/05 New Year Gulpa Creek Bylands V (between Echuca & Deniliquin) ???? 2005 Autumn/Easter Gulpa Creek Bylands VI (between Echuca & Deniliquin) ???? 2005/06 New Year Gulpa Creek Bylands VII (between Echuca & Deniliquin) 2,000? 2006 Autumn/Easter Gulpa Creek Bylands VIII (between Echuca & Deniliquin) 3000 2006/07 New Year Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill Held at a property purchased by DTE in 2005/6. 2nd property purchased, and owned by DTE 3000 2007 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2300 2007/08 New Year Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 1500 2008 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 3000 2008/09 New Year Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 1200 2009 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 3700 2009/10 New Year Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2500 2010 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 4000 2010/11 New Year Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 3500 2011 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2011/12 New Year Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2012 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2012/13 New Year Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2013 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2013/14 New Year Cancelled 2014 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2014/15 New Year Cancelled 2015 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2016 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 5857 2017 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 6100 2018 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2019 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2020-2022 (festival cancelled during lock-down) 2023 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2024 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2024 Spring/Halloween Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2025 Autumn/Easter Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill 2025 Spring/Halloween Edward River outside Moulamein, between Deniliquin and Swan Hill
Climate The property used for the March 2019 Confest gathering was one of two owned by the Down to Earth Cooperatives for the purpose of holding Confest gatherings. It is located approximately south-east of the New South Wales town of Moulamein and north-west of Deniliquin. This region generally has a warmer climate over Summer and Autumn, and a cooler climate over Winter relative to Melbourne where the highest proportion of event participants reside. The Summer Confest was cancelled and was not held for several years while fire mitigation work was carried out on the property. The Autumn Confest held over the Easter long weekend has continued while this has taken place. It is often referred to as "Easter Confest" due to its timing but is a non-denominational event with participants able to observe their own spiritual practices including candle lighting at designated events and spaces as long as there is no fire ban. In 2016 an additional Confest was organised for Spring. It was unable to go ahead due to flooding.
Legal issues
In 2015 police reported that 38 of 54 people searched on the approach road to the event were found in possession of illicit substances.
There have been a number of assaults throughout the festival's history by a few individuals, including sexual assaults during massages and an attempted child abduction. In some cases, this has resulted in lifetime bans from the festival and police involvement.
References
External links
Down to Earth Co-op website