The return of the Outback Festival to Winton

Community Stories, 10 November 2022

On Koa Country

Outback Festival Inc is situated in the Queensland outback town of Winton, a 10-hour drive from Cairns. They’re a not-for-profit organisation that was formed in 1972 when the inaugural Winton Outback Festival took place. Since 1973, the festival has been held biennially and has grown from a small-town event attracting fewer than 1,000 visitors to a major regional event that drew in a record 14,976 attendees over the five days – pretty impressive for a town of only 900 people!

With the help of a $45,000 FRRR grant, funded by the Australian Government through the Tackling Tough Times Together program, Outback Festival Inc was able to host one of their largest Festivals capitalising on the holidaying demographic contained to Queensland due to state borders being closed. The theme was ‘Giants of the Outback’ which showcased the story of Qantas and the role that Australia, and the historic town of Winton, has played in the history of air travel.

In 2021, the festival was more crucial to the community than ever, as a lot of locals in Winton and the surrounding towns were feeling socially isolated following the COVID pandemic, not to mention the hit that the economy had taken due to the absence of visitors and tourists.

The festival was hailed an amazing success, with a record 80% increase in numbers that saw upwards of 4,000 visitors book out nearby motels, camping grounds and hotels. Families from all around Queensland road-tripped their way to Winton for an outback school holiday experience.

People from all ages and backgrounds participated in and attended open air concerts, family sports events, arts performances, workshops and even watched a stunning pyrotechnic display.

Winton is known as the birthplace of Qantas and so, to celebrate 100 years of Qantas, a sunset gala dinner with the theme “Centenary of Flight” was held on the Winton airport tarmac with over 300 guests attending along with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment as invited guests.

As a result of the Outback Festival, Winton got a much-needed influx of revenue with more than $1.2 million being spent by attendees during the five days of quintessential Aussie fun. Local business operators reported huge spikes in trading, with some seeing an increase of up to 127%.

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.

  • Photos were captured by Barry Alsop of Eyes Wide Open.
  • Photos were captured by Barry Alsop of Eyes Wide Open.
  • Photos were captured by Barry Alsop of Eyes Wide Open.
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Amy Crawford

Amy Crawford has an extensive career in complex public policy and its intersection across government and communities.

Amy is the Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), representing 537 councils across the nation. Amy holds over 20 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service. She has a deep understanding of federal government policies and structures, with over 10 years’ service in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and has worked for the federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. Amy has shaped a wide range of policies and programs including regional development, telecommunications, immigration, emergency management, social policy and pandemic preparation.

Amy is a Board Director of Austroads and represents ALGA on the Public Skills Australia Industry Advisory Group, and the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee. She is also a Board Director for the Canberra Youth Theatre which provides voice for Canberra’s youth through intelligent and challenging theatre.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Laws (honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) from the University of Queensland, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an alumnus of the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership. Amy was appointed to the FRRR Board in January 2025.

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Kylie Hansen

Kylie brings leadership and management experience from across academic, corporate, not-for-profit, social enterprise and impact investment sectors, having deep dived into a myriad of specialisations and systems. Her six tertiary qualifications are equally as diverse and complimentary, covering commerce, politics, international development, community development, project management and law. Her breadth and depth of experience enables her to draw on a number of disciplines and innovative ways of working and thinking, and she is well recognised as consistently delivering work and services of a high quality.

Kylie uses her strong background in sustainability, governance and impact measurement to support collaborative initiatives across sectors oriented at improving social outcomes, and to support socially conscientious businesses to articulate their social impact. As founder and director at Impact Seed she has been instrumental in developing the impact measurement, evaluation, learning and ESG practice which advises numerous corporates, and is passionate about supporting First Nations empowerment particularly in the context of regional economic development.

Kylie is also a Director of the WA Social Enterprise Council, a member of the B Council (B Lab Australia and New Zealand), and a Governor of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

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Hon. John Anderson AC

The Hon. John Anderson AC is a sixth-generation farmer and grazier from NSW, who served in the Australian Parliament from 1989 to 2008.

He was a senior Cabinet minister in the government led by John Howard (1996 to 2005), including six years as Leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister.

In the latter role, Mr Anderson played in important role in FRRR’s history, working closely with Baillieu Myer AC and others on a proposal to establish a philanthropic organisation to benefit rural Australia. The concept was discussed at the National Regional Summit in 1999 and FRRR was established shortly thereafter.

Mr Anderson currently hosts a regular podcast, where he is in conversation with thought-leaders from around the world, and is a regular media commentator.

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Regina Cruickshank

Partnerships Specialist (WA)

Regina supports FRRR as the WA Partnerships Specialist. With over two decades of experience in partnerships and marketing, she has a deep understanding of Western Australia’s social impact landscape. She brings a strong passion for leveraging purpose-built networks to create positive change.

Regina previously worked with Playgroup WA and founded a Health Promotion Charity dedicated to supporting Social Emotional wellbeing for underserved communities. She’s excited about the opportunity to connect with partners and explore ways to make a meaningful difference in WA.

She lives in Perth with her family and enjoys mindful moments of connection to Country, whether on horseback, on foot or underwater.

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Anna Palmer

People and Culture Manager

Based in Central Victoria, Anna is a senior Human Resources, Organisation Development and Industrial Relations professional, with significant private and public sector experience across every facet of people and culture leadership.

Her most recent roles have been with Don KR in Castlemaine and Mount Alexander Shire Council. She has also held senior HR roles with Victoria Legal Aid and the TAC among many others.

From Mildura originally, Anna has postgraduate qualifications in Change Management and a Masters in Organisation Dynamics.

Anna is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts to balance her creative pursuits and work as an HR professional.

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Philippa Twaddle

Management Accountant

Carolyn joined the FRRR team in March 2017, and is responsible for providing executive support to the CEO, effective coordination of the FRRR office and general administrative support to the management team. A key responsibility is supporting the administration of FRRR’s Donation Account Services.

She has over fifteen years’ experience working in local government in the Tourism and Arts Sector, Civic and Event Management and Community engagement.

Carolyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Librarianship, majoring in psychology, and grew up on farming communities in Cohuna and Echuca and currently lives in Bendigo.