Every year in March, Melburnians gather around the Yarra, to eat, drink, watch fireworks, and celebrate… well, something. The river, I think.
We call it the Moomba Festival. It’s an icon of a different kind – more the “you have to be there to see it” kind. Which adds another dimension to our exploration here.
And every year (well, except when it was on hiatus in the first decade of this century), Moomba crowns a King and Queen, who preside over the annual parade, which draws something around 100,000 people to watch. And this year’s Queen was a jockey, who won a really big race, and the King was her brother, who was the strapper on her horse. And they were worthy royalty, and we were pleased. Is any of this making sense? Perhaps you really did have to be there…
(Sharon’s interpretation of Moomba is on her blog here.)
PS: Below are a few more shots from this year’s parade – because the King and Queen were just one small part of what makes it such an icon…
Timothy Moss 