This year's annual cracker carnival was held on Saturday, 2nd June from 2pm until 8pm and was the school's most successful ever - smashing the 2017 record! Thank you to all who attended and a special thank you to the students, staff and community members who volunteered their time to achieve such an incredible result.
The cracker carnival is the school's major fund raising event for the year, which is organised by a very dedicated and committed team of parents. In 2017, the cracker carnival raised $45,000 for the school. In previous years the funds raised from the cracker carnival have helped purchase smart boards and air conditioning for each classroom, laptops for the Primary classes, iPads for the Infant classes, the electronic sign for the front of the school and upgrade the play equipment in the infant's area. Without the cracker carnival, these extra facilities that are available for our children to use would not be available.
To keep up-to-date with the planning of the 2019 cracker carnival or for more information about the day, please like the Murray Farm cracker carnival Facebook page.
Alternatively you can contact the cracker carnival committee by emailing crackercarnival@gmail.com.
Why is it called the cracker carnival?
Commonwealth Day or what was better know as "Cracker Night" was held each year on the June long weekend. Everyone - adults and children, families and communities - gathered together for the celebrations at big bonfires to let off crackers. The bonfires in backyards or vacant street lots were built up with materials that had been saved for months in advanced. There was great excitement as everyone gathered just before dark, with blankets and hot drinks in a thermos. The Dads, uncles and big brothers had the matches and carried the crackers, keeping them away from little fingers and the fire until it was their turn to light their bundles of crackers. The bonfire was lit and then out came the old milk and beer bottles to hold the skyrockets. Sadly, however, with restrictions on fireworks it has meant that Cracker Night no longer exists.
The cracker carnival as we know it today was born from this great Australian tradition to allow the school and community to continue to enjoy fireworks, as well as raise money for the school. It is held each year on the weekend before the June long weekend to mark the occasion.
