Our Story

Trentham’s first Words in Winter Festival was in August 2004. Our town was a lot different then and while the buildings remain, most are now used for new purposes and businesses.

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The very first event of the Festival was a book launch at Reverie Books – now Trentham General, and originally home to the old National Bank. Next door, the Trentham Hotel hosted a concert of Irish and Australian music in the ‘Back Room’, a venue well known to local music lovers.

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Over the road Trentham Café and Crafts hosted ‘Bush Poetry Old and New’, an event organised by the Trentham Historical Society. The Old Bakehouse down the laneway – now Red Beard Bakery - served up pizza along with Blues/Roots music that was the passion of the owner, Adrian Kosky. The Trentham Neighbourhood Centre – still a venue nearly two decades later, was the place for a ‘Village Glee Club’ and also a ‘Scrabble Fest’ which was an event imported from Daylesford and run by Daylesford local Clive Rutherford.

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Trentham local, Peter Fernon, was already on his feet in a performance poetry item at the Fir Tree Bistro – the old Commercial Hotel - alongside the famous Ken Buddha Trio. Food and entertainment was in full swing at both Wilding’s, a restaurant in the Cosmopolitan Hotel, and The Chimney, a European-style café where Kuki now stands. A book workshop ran at the Trentham Railway Station while Trentham’s combined churches hosted Melbourne Football Club’s chaplain for some ‘Sporting Words’ at St Andrew’s Uniting Church. Looking back, we can see that Trentham Words in Winter kicked off with a variety of events involving many groups in interesting places.

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Over the years a number of people have been involved in the festival, each making their own unique contribution. At present we are a very small committee of people aware of the need for renewal as the population mix of our town continues to change. If you are interested in becoming involved or finding our more information drop us a line at wiw@trentham.org.au.