$2.1 million funding allocated for Caboolture Abbey Medieval Festival and Museum

A $2.1 million Queensland 2022-23 Budget investment in Caboolture’s Abbey Medieval Festival and Museum will help Abbeystowe add a new cafe and art gallery and grow the festival as a destination for interstate and international visitors.

More than 30,000 people are anticipated to visit the Abbey Medieval Festival over the weekend (9th and 10th July) for jousting, falconry, trebuchets and unique Middle Ages cuisine.

Local State Member for Pumicestone Ali King advised “Abbey Medieval Festival and the Abbey Museum are a much-loved part of the Moreton Bay Region’s visitor economy.

“It’s fantastic to see maidens in home-spun gowns and knights in shining armour making their pilgrimage back to Caboolture.

This is the first Abbey Medieval Festival since the pandemic and is predicted to deliver up to $3 million for the Moreton Bay Region’s visitor economy.

Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Abbey Medieval Festival was one of Queensland’s great winter events and noted “earlier this year, our Destination Events Program also delivered $105,000 over three years to secure the post-pandemic future of Abbey’s unique medieval event.”

Abbey Museum Director Edith Cuffe OAM said the Queensland Government’s funding would create opportunity and advised “building an art gallery and café will be a wonderful addition to the museum, enhancing our capacity as a vibrant cultural centre and tourism attraction.

“The funding for Medieval Festival infrastructure will allow for the ongoing development of this iconic event and increase sustainability into the future.”

Funding for the upgrade of Abbeystowe Museum and the Medieval Festival is subject to a business case prior to construction.

Image courtesy Abbey Medieval Festival: Rodney, from the southern highlands of NSW, began jousting in 2018 and has since competed at Tournaments in QLD, NSW and Victoria and recently overcame a field of Australia’s best jousters to win his spurs and emerge Champion at the Tournament of the Epsilon shield at the inaugural Orange Medieval Faire. Rodney’s mount Harry is a 12 year old Shire gelding who has been jousting with him from the start. At over 900kg, Harry is the biggest horse on the Australian jousting circuit and is also a Champion of the joust Tournament and horse archery alike.