A Red Letter Day for Bunyip – The Caledonian GatheringHenry McSwane Rodger and George Sinclair Hay( my Great great Uncle) Today we travel back many years to a time when one of the biggest events on the Bunyip calendar was the annual Highland Gathering.The year was during the early decades of the 1900s, and the Bunyip and District Caledonian Society was preparing for its eighth annual gathering. What followed was described in the local newspaper as a true “Red Letter Day” for Bunyip.For weeks beforehand, members of the Society worked tirelessly to prepare the grounds. Men such as Peter McIvor, H. Bell, T. D. McGregor, F. Cock, George Donald, Dan Danson, Cr. J. H. Smethurst, T. Rogers and our own Henry Rodger were among those helping to get everything ready.Running tracks were marked out, dancing stages erected, and countless jobs completed so visitors would be welcomed to a first-class carnival.When Wednesday finally arrived, the weather could not have been better.Bunyip was alive with excitement.Visitors arrived from all over Victoria, representing Scottish societies from Trafalgar, Essendon, Geelong, Warrnambool, Kooweerup, Morwell and beyond. Never before had so many visitors gathered in Bunyip at one time.The town was filled with the sound of bagpipes, laughter and friendly conversation. Men, women and children dressed in traditional Highland costume created a colourful and memorable sight.The day’s programme was packed with events.Champion pipers competed in pibrochs, marches and reels, while dancers performed the Highland Fling, Irish Jig, Reel o’ Tulloch and Sailor’s Hornpipe.Children proudly took part in their own competitions. Names such as Pearl Donald, Irene O’Callaghan, Mary Casey, Edith Sparks, Norman Martin and Harry Billett appeared among the prize winners. For many local youngsters it would have been a day they remembered for years.The Scottish Games were equally popular.Competitors tossed the caber, threw the hammer, put the stone and hurled the sheaf. One of the most unusual contests was “Stepping a Distance”, which attracted no fewer than thirty-nine competitors.Athletics also featured strongly, with foot races, hurdle races, high jumps and children’s running events keeping spectators entertained throughout the afternoon.The gathering was not only about sport and entertainment.Five per cent of the gate takings were donated to the Warragul District Hospital, showing the strong community spirit that existed at the time.Despite the difficult economic conditions of the day, attendance matched the previous year. More than £80 was collected at the gates, a considerable sum in those times.Visitors were well catered for by Mrs Marsden’s luncheon booth and fruit stall, while Mr Ern Vickery looked after refreshments nearby.At the end of the day, the newspaper praised Secretary McGregor and every member of the Society for their hard work. It noted that it would be unfair to single out any one individual because so many people had contributed to the success of the gathering.Looking back today, it is easy to see why the event was remembered as a “Red Letter Day.”For one special day, Bunyip became the centre of Scottish culture in Gippsland. The sounds of the pipes echoed across the town, dancers performed before enthusiastic crowds, and old friends gathered together in a celebration of community, heritage and friendship.More than a century later, it remains a wonderful reminder of the vibrant community spirit that helped shape the Bunyip we know today.One of the prize-winning dancers at the Bunyip Highland Gathering was my great-great-uncle, George Sinclair Hay. I am absolutely delighted to know that Henry and George knew each other It is a lovely reminder that family history and local history often walk hand in hand.
Adapted by Davina Veenstra from Trove newspaper report#lovealwayshenry♥️#storybydaffy📝#picbyai