Thousands flock to Multicultural Festival

Last night’s Mount Isa Multicultural Festival was a vibrant celebration of the city’s multicultural heart.

By Lyndsay Jameson

The Multicultural Festival was held on the grounds of the Good Shepherd Catholic Church.

Last night’s Mount Isa Multicultural Festival at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church grounds was a vibrant celebration of the city’s multicultural heart, with a wide variety of cuisine, dazzling costumes, and lively cultural dance.

The food selection included Mexican, continental, Fijian, Filipino, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine, while the dance performances represented Scotland, Ireland, India, the Philippines, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji.

There were also cultural and historic photo displays inside the church, cake and craft stalls, lucky dips, and raffles.

The theme of this year’s event was all of the cultures of Mount Isa.

The opening ceremony was emceed by Chris Pocock and included speeches by Multicultural Festival chairman Tony McGrady, Father Mick Lowcock, and Mount Isa mayor Peta MacRae, with Kalkadoon representative Barbara Sam conducting the Welcome to Country.

Mr McGrady said the event was a time to be proud of what Mount Isa is all about.

“Those people who think Mount Isa is just some little mining town have got it wrong, because we are acknowledged right around the world as one of the premier mining cities in the world,” he said.

“One of the reasons for that is that there are so many people from different lands who’ve come here, lived, settled down and raised families – that's the success of Mount Isa.”

He named past mayors who have multicultural backgrounds, including Franz Born (Germany), Angelo Bertoni (Italian descent), Ron McCullough (Ireland), and Danielle Slade (the UK). Mr McGrady was also born in the UK.

Cr MacRae said Mount Isa is a very proud multicultural city, with people from more than 50 different nationalities calling the city home.

“The Mount Isa Local Government Area is the 13th most ethnically diverse in Queensland, and 16% of our residents were born overseas, with most people coming from New Zealand, the Philippines, England and South Africa,” the mayor said.

“It’s also a Welcoming City, which means we’re part of a worldwide network of cities that are committed to inclusivity, cultural diversity, and welcoming people from all over the world and from all walks of life.

“Community events like the Multicultural Festival really help to cement our city’s pride in our multicultural roots.”