Celebrating the 2025 Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival
- Linda Forrester
- May 22
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 8
The 2025 Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival has officially wrapped up — and what a celebration it was!
On behalf of the Creative Connections Committee, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our 47 incredible sponsors. Their generosity made this event possible. Major support came from the Whitsunday Regional Council, Proserpine Entertainment Centre, FRRR, Wilmar Sugar, Bendigo Bank, Tassal, and The Croc Safari, alongside many local businesses, artists, and community partners.
Your backing helped us shine a spotlight on creativity, conservation, and community spirit right here in the heart of the Whitsundays.
Art, Culture, and Community
From the very beginning, our goal was to showcase creativity while raising awareness for the endangered Proserpine Rock Wallaby. We were blown away by the community’s response. Over 1,200 visitors came through the doors across the four-day festival. They explored an incredible display of 90 artworks, a giant Rock Wallaby lantern, and the Raku sculpture — the prototype for our 20 hand-painted treasure hunt statues.
The Opening Night was a major highlight. Mayor Ry Collins officially opened the event, with over 120 special guests in attendance. Awards were presented by category sponsors, recognising the outstanding work of regional artists:
Winner - Youth Expression Award Tied between:
Lacey Appleton - Back Roads and Stack Smoke
Isabella Hardwick - Persephone - Goddess of Spring
Highly Commended - Youth Expression Award
Mia Matthews - Lenny the Rock Wallaby
Winner - Theme Award
Christine Rose - Fishing at Prossie Dam
Highly Commended - Theme Award
Desma Munro - "Persephone’s Embrace"
Agnes Durbet - Fleur de sens32
Winner - Best in Show:
Avril Ayling - Peace at the Dam
Highly Commended - Best in Show:
Grace McDonald - Seasonal Landscape 1
Engagement at Every Turn
Visitors enjoyed a vibrant program that included:
People's Choice voting
Hands-on art workshops
The popular Rock Wallaby Treasure Hunt featuring 22 3D wallabies
75 2D cut-outs around town created by the Proserpine High School Art Students
The ourSCAPE Challenge (plein-air painting)
A bustling Handmade Market at Ken McPherson Park, despite the threat of bad weather.
Participation from Youthspace and Fauna Rescue Whitsundays
The Mother’s Day Morning Tea was a heartwarming, sold-out event featuring a special visit from “Sissy,” a baby Proserpine rock wallaby. A donation will be made to Fauna Rescue from proceeds of the Morning Tea and other fundraising aspects of the festival.
Raising Awareness for Our Local Wildlife
Fauna Rescue played a key role throughout the festival. They provided an enlightening presentation at the Mother’s Day Morning Tea, set up info booths at the Markets, and contributed to a collaborative art piece in the Exhibition. Their involvement helped spotlight the importance of protecting the Proserpine Rock Wallaby, making the event as educational as it was artistic.
Festival by the Numbers
Total Visitors: 1,200+
Website Views: 1,899
Facebook Reach: 56K
Facebook Views: 323K
Visitors: Local: 80% | Other QLD: 16% | Interstate: 4%
❤️ What People Said
“Congratulations on a truly amazing festival the like of which has never been seen in Proserpine.” — Heather Sutton
“An amazing festival. Thank you to everyone for all their hard work. It's terrific to see Proserpine shine! Can't wait to see what the 2026 Rock Wallaby festival brings.” — Grace McDonald
“This was such a wonderful event. We walked the 2 hours for the Wallaby hunt with our 2 boys, and we had an absolute blast! I hope the festival is a yearly one.” — Festival Visitor
“It was an absolutely fantastic day! So many people showed up. The morning tea was spectacular. Well done to the organisers, Creative Connections. A wonderful event, and thanks for the opportunity to get the word out there about the Proserpine Rock Wallaby and Fauna Rescue Whitsundays.” — Kerry Aspland
Looking Ahead
We’d love to see the Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival return and continue to grow into something even more vibrant and community-driven. This year’s success showed just how much potential there is when creativity and local spirit come together. Moving forward, Creative Connections Whitsundays will continue to focus on the creative elements of the festival—supporting artists, exhibitions, and arts-based activities—but there is so much more the event could become.
For the festival to truly flourish, it needs broader community involvement. There’s a wonderful opportunity here for local groups, businesses, schools, and organisations to step in, contribute their strengths, and help shape the future of the event. Whether it’s through entertainment, hospitality, environmental education, cultural activities, or community engagement, every contribution adds to the heart of the festival.
To support this vision, the formation of a dedicated Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival Committee will be an important next step. With a shared sense of purpose and collaboration, the festival can grow into a much-loved annual event that celebrates not only our creativity but also our community’s diversity, spirit, and connection to place.
Thank you again to all our sponsors, artists, volunteers, and supporters — this festival was a celebration of what’s possible when a community comes together.
See separate posts on the 3D Wallaby created by 20 wonderful artists and the ourSCAPE Challenge.
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