BRISBANE, Australia — Bill Hauritz, the impresario who launched the Woodford Folk Festival, one of Australia’s largest and longest-running camping fests, and a treasure in the live events calendar, died Monday, Dec. 8 following a stretch of poor health. He was 71.
The show began life as the Maleny Folk Festival in 1987, an end-of-year gathering on the Sunshine Coast hinterland. As word spread of its unique vibe, the festival outgrew its home and the party was relocated to the 500-acre cultural parkland, Woodfordia, the heart of which is the iconic, natural open-air ampitheater.
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Today, the six-day fest rings in the new year with about 120,000 guests and 2,000 artists, and is said to be Australia’s biggest annual gathering of its kind. Former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke was a regular Woodford VIP, and gave his final recorded interview for the 2018 edition.
During event week, the fest can claim to be the 67th largest town in the country.
Much like the Montreux Jazz Festival, the beloved Queensland folk festival’s bill isn’t confined to the genre attached to its name. Over time, the likes of Courtney Barnett, Hiatus Kaiyote, The Saints, Archie Roach, Tim Finn and Kate Miller-Heidke have played to its crowds, which typically range from infants in prams through to octogenarians.
With Hauritz at the helm, a years-long tree-planting exercise at the Woodfordia site, a so-called working bee, evolved into The Planting, a gathering that was part-outdoor camping festival, part-learning and skill-developing in the arts, environmental sciences and practical skill.
Hauritz’s “vision extended far beyond event-making,” reads a statement from the festival. “It was rooted in environmental stewardship, respect for Indigenous culture, intergenerational knowledge-sharing, and the protection and celebration of intangible cultural heritage, and a deep faith in humanity.”
That vision included the creation of Woodfordia’s 500-Year Plan, a blueprint that imagines a future shaped by care for country, community and creativity.
In 2023, UNESCO presented Woodfordia with the Intangible Cultural Heritage Award at the Jeonju International Awards for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Hauritz was personally feted on many occasions during his lifetime. In 2005, he received the Order of Australia (AM), for “service to the community, particularly through the establishment of the Woodford Folk Festival and leadership roles in organisations that provide a forum for the promotion of cross-cultural and artistic awareness”. Separately, he was honored as a Smithsonian Fellow, acknowledging his outstanding contribution to the cultural fabric of Australia and beyond, and, in 2011, Hauritz collected the Grant McLennan Lifetime Achievement Award.
Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke leads tributes for the visionary festival operator. “Bob Hawke once told me I would never meet a better Australian than Bill Hauritz. That wasn’t just his conclusion. It was the conclusion of anyone who has spent a moment with Bill.”
In the Woodford Folk Festival, he continued, Hauritz “didn’t simply create a home for entertainment. He created an example of how people could live with less conflict and more care. Australian artists lose a lot with his passing. But the arts in Australia is forever enriched by his life.”
Hauritz retired in 2022 when the directorship was handed to co-founder and managing director Amanda Jackes.
“A living village where music, ceremony, story and shared experience passed hand to hand, heart to heart, in the rhythms of everyday life. He taught us how to build something beautiful that lasts, not just in memory, but in the land and in each other,” Jackes remarked.
“The greatest compliment Bill ever received, and the one he wore with a smile, was that he was a pathological optimist. He lived up to that each and every day. His presence is woven into everything we do.”
The showman is survived by his wife Ingrid, sons Tom and Jack, daughter-in-law Mel, and grandchildren Elke and Stellan.
Hauritz suffered multiple strokes and leg injuries in recent years, and, before Christmas 2022, the family home of 40 years burned to the ground. Tom broke the news of his dad’s passing on a GoFundMe, set to help Bill and Ingrid through an “unimaginably hard” spell. “I’m terribly sad to let you know Dad passed away yesterday. He has most certainly left an incredible impact on the lives of so many, but we will simply miss our Dad.” He continues, “we also can’t thank all of you who have donated and shared along the way. Every dollar has been a blessing and has helped navigate a very challenging time and words really can’t do justice to the gratitude we all feel.”
A celebration of Hauritz’ life will be announced on social media in due course.