What Kind of Courage? To leave family, country and your night sky?

What kind of courage does it take to migrate, to journey worlds away from home?

For me Irish culture is not performative, it is expressive. That is, not fixed traditionally as ‘Irish’, more a cultural expression like storytelling, dance, song. To that end this short film about the lost Irish women of Eureka, where only first names existed, needed to be surrounded by those kinds of expressions. So the ‘Courage’ event was created by me and the famous Mary Darcy of the Ballarat Irish Association.

We welcomed poets, historians and storytellers to delve into the emotional courage and fortitude of Irish women who journeyed across the sea, with hope of building a new life and to create new communities.

Featuring short film, poetry, historical readings and live music in an intimate setting, we shared together story and verse to bring heart to bear on historical information, where fact is illuminated by fiction (fabulism).

Set at the time of Samhain, when in Celtic mythology the veil between the worlds is thin, we hoped to hear the whispers of the past, and we were not disappointed. The event was sold out thanks to our partnership with the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections.

What kind of Courage?

Sunday 2nd November 2025
Rare Trades Centre – Wadawurrung Country (Ballaarat)

Some photos here, while the list of talent created an extraordinary event:

SHEL O’TOOLE Singer | Songwriter

• SOUNDCLOUD: soundcloud.com/shelalagh
• YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@ShirleyOToole
• REVERBNATION: reverbnation.com/shelotoole

MARY DARCY Ballarat District Irish Association

• FACEBOOK: facebook.com/BallaratIrish
• WEBSITE: ballaratirish.org.au
• EMAIL: [email protected]

LAUREL JOHNSON Author

• Book ‘Women of Eureka’ available at the Eureka Centre

PROFESSOR CLARE WRIGHT OAM Historian | Author | Broadcaster

• WEBSITE: clarewright.com.au
• SOCIALS: @clarewrighthistorian
• Books including ‘The Forgotten Women of Eureka available at Text Publishing
• WEBSITE: textpublishing.com.au/authors/clarewright

DOCTOR DOROTHY WICKHAM Historian | Author

• WEBSITE: dorothywickham.com.au
• Books including ‘Women of the Diggings’ and ‘Eureka’s Women’ available at the Eureka Centre

LUCY BRACEY Historian | Way Back When

• WEBSITE: waybackwhen.com.au

ERIN McCUSKEY Artist Filmmaker | Yum Studio Creative Director

• ARTIST WEBSITE: erin.yumstudio.com.au
• YUM STUDIO WEBSITE: yumcreative.yumstudio.com.au
• SOCIALS: @erinmccuskey
• VIMEO: vimeo.com/erinmccuskey

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IMAGE CREDIT: Courage by Erin M McCuskey