Celebrating St Albans’ rich history
The festival draws its unique magic from the village of St Albans itself, rich in both indigenous and colonial history. The valley was originally home to the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples, whose legacy will be remembered at the Welcome to Country smoking ceremony lead by local Indigenous representative Col Lyons (stay tuned for further details on Indigenous stories at the festival). You’ll find the festival hub, as always, nestled on the ancient banks of the Macdonald River at St Albans Reserve, with two of the village’s key historic landmarks once again transformed into event spaces for the festival. Take the walk up Wharf Road to the tiny Church of St Alban the Martyr, still in use today as an Anglican church, after being built as a timber chapel in 1843 by early European settlers and replaced thirty years later with the current building of local sandstone. Take a seat in one of the church pews to enjoy an author talk or two in this intimate space. Step back in time again at the atmospheric Settler’s Arms Inn, a local institution since the early 1800s, with its low ceilings, cosy fireplace and old-world charm. We’re pitching the large ‘Ian’ and ‘Gabrielle’ marquees in the back garden – named after the inn’s owners and loyal festival sponsors – with more than half the festival’s events taking place here.
If you’ve been to St Albans before, you are no doubt familiar with the Settlers Arms Inn, one of the festival’s most vibrant centres. If it’s your first time, allow us to introduce you to this local icon…
Built from convict-hewn sandstone, the Settlers Arms has been operating since 1836; a key stopover for stagecoach journeys between Sydney and Newcastle.
Step inside the Inn over the weekend to dine on country-style winter warmers, or maybe to imbibe a little nightcap after a day of writers’ festival activity.
Join us at the Settlers Arms Inn on Saturday night to take your tastebuds back in time through a special 1836 Dinner. We’re very excited to welcome back colonial gastronomer Jacqui Newling, who has created a menu with the Inn kitchen’s chef Tilly Burns-Woods evoking the kind of foods which would have been eaten in the year the pub was opened. The dinner includes a pre-meal talk about the colony’s early food culture and a selection of dishes, many of which can be found in Jacqui’s book, Eat Your History. Click here to book your Saturday ticket and reserve a seat for this fascinating taste of St Albans history.