Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival Wins Community Event of the Year

MEDIA RELEASE

Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival Wins Best Community Event

Creative Connections Whitsundays (CCW) is proud to share that the 2025 Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival has been awarded Community Event of the Year at the 2026 Whitsunday Regional Council Australia Day Awards.

The festival delighted the community with a vibrant program celebrating creativity and raising awareness for the endangered Proserpine Rock Wallaby.

Over four days, more than 1,200 visitors explored 90 artworks, a giant Rock Wallaby lantern, the Raku sculpture, and 20 hand-painted treasure hunt statues. The sold-out Mother’s Day Morning Tea featured a special visit from baby wallaby “Sissy,” with proceeds supporting Fauna Rescue.

Current CCW President Glenda Brown said:

“The Rock Wallaby Festival is a perfect example of how Creative Connections Whitsundays incubates new and original community arts initiatives. It’s incredibly rewarding to see an idea take root, engage the community, and be recognised for its impact.”

A highlight of the festival was the Proserpine Rock Wallaby Treasure Hunt, a vision brought to life by local artist, Linda Forrester.

She imagined families wandering through town, clue sheet in hand, discovering hidden wallabies and sharing laughs along the way. Linda sculpted the first clay wallaby, Galea’s Concrete Products created moulds, and local artists painted each one. Today, the concrete wallabies appear in shops, workplaces, and even on awnings — symbols of creativity, collaboration, and Proserpine’s quirky charm. What began as a simple idea has grown into a community adventure, destined to become a beloved tradition.

The treasure hunt remains open to the public. Families can email prwf2025@gmail.com to receive their clues, find all the painted wallabies around Proserpine, and scan the QR code on each to learn about the artists behind them.

Looking ahead, CCW will continue to focus on the new Gallery in Proserpine and producing events and exhibitions for our local creatives. The future of the Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival is now in the hands of a newly incorporated Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival committee, led by Leigh Skead.

For updates, visit: Proserpine Rock Wallaby Festival Facebook