{"id":4197,"date":"2020-07-06T10:13:48","date_gmt":"2020-07-06T00:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bassstraitmaritimecentre.com.au\/?p=4197"},"modified":"2022-10-03T16:37:24","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T05:37:24","slug":"the-dahlia-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bassstraitmaritimecentre.com.au\/history\/the-dahlia-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dahlia Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"
On\u00a0<\/span>the 14<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0of April 1955<\/span>\u00a0a public meeting was held at the Devonport Town Hall to consider holding a floral festival in Devonport. It had been suggested that various activities take place over a week, and\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>these activities be sponsored by various\u00a0<\/span>organisations and community groups<\/span>\u00a0of the town.\u00a0<\/span>A committee was formed to meet monthly and to decide how the festival might move forward <\/span>1<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Festival\u00a0<\/span>quickly\u00a0<\/span>became a big event for Devonport. The programme for the second Dahlia Festival which took place in March 1957 shows that\u00a0<\/span>some of the\u00a0<\/span>activities included a sand castle competition,\u00a0<\/span>f<\/span>ancy dress ball, speedboats, a flower show<\/span>\u00a0and judging<\/span>, a fashion parade, performances by the Devonport Choral and Orchestral\u00a0<\/span>Society<\/span>, inspections of various manufacturing businesses<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>a parade of\u00a0<\/span>floats<\/span>\u00a0through town<\/span>. The Festival\u2019s Dahlia Queen was chosen at the Dahlia Ball which was held in the lead up to the Festival. Open to girls from the Devonport municipality, the Dahlia Queen received a prize cheque and participated in all the official functions held during the week-ends and evenings of the Festival.\u00a0 Her crowning took place at the Mardi Gras event.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n