The Dunbogan Picnic is an informal group of lesbians who have been meeting at the Dunbogan Reserve on the first Saturday of each month for over 20 years. The group provides support for socially isolated and ageing lesbians in a rural area.
The project that applied for a grant was to be able to hire the Jubilee Hall to allow picnics to continue in inclement weather and to provide refreshments
For over 20 years a group of lesbians have met monthly on the first Saturday at the Dunbogan Reserve (mid north coast of NSW.) Members of the group come from as far afield as Forster (90km south) and Kempsey (80km north). Attendees range in age from teens to 80’s. There are usually 15 – 20 women present. Women contemplating moving to the area have attended in order to know others before they move.
With a diverse range of attendee’s, they applied for a LInc Grant so they could continue to meet even in inclement weather.
The reserve has a number of picnic tables but no shelter. Consequently on rainy days the picnic is cancelled sometimes after women have travelled long distances to attend. Recent weather uncertainty means that cancellation is occurring more frequently. Hiring the Hall adjacent to the picnic area allows us to continue to meet.