The Steam to Surf Heritage Festival 2011 marked the rebirth of the National Trust heritage festival in Victoria. Coordination was made possible by funding provided by the Commonwealth Government. It was ironic given the terrible floods in Queensland and the severe flooding in central and western Victoria that the theme of our Heritage Festival was based around a global celebration of the heritage of water. The International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) nominate a theme each year for celebration on 18 April and chose water for 2011. We were thrilled to work closely with Australia ICOMOS in promoting a celebration of our cultural heritage in Victoria.

2011 marked the 50th anniversary of the Bells Beach Classic surfing competition at Torquay, and the international significance of Bells Beach was recognised by the National Trust when it classified Bells Beach more than ten years ago. The Surf World Museum at Torquay has a special exhibition to chart the world’s longest running surfing contest.

The festival was built around regional events at the Geelong & Region Heritage Festival, the Taste of Gold Festival in Central Goldfields Shire, the Rushworth Easter Heritage Festival and City of Ballarat Heritage Festival. We thank the following partners and sponsors: