Weather threatens RAIN Bush Bash event with postponement, delaying chance for ‘community to take a breather’

The weather forecast is threatening the 2026 Bush Bash scheduled for Saturday at the Old Fitzgerald School Site.

The bushfire recovery and farmer unwinding event is due to feature Albany band the Numbats along with Dean Haitani, Dan Oltmans and Hopetoun’s Kate Martin. It’s organised by the Ravensthorpe Agricultural Initiative Network.

If it does not go ahead on Saturday, it will be postponed until after seeding, according to RAIN executive officer Khiara Daw.

Last year’s event at the Starvation Bay campground attracted more than 200 people and featured Martin along with other homegrown talents Joshua Smith, Bec Sexton and Ozzy Redman plus travelling artists Salt and Steel.

The aim of the festival is to help farmers get together and have a break from the daily grind, said Ms Daw.

“We want people to get off the farm and socialise, help the community take a breather,” she said.

“The 2026 Bush Bash is in response to the fires of December and January. We lost 50 per cent of the Fitzgerald River National Park and a lot of farmland.

“We also lost Mark Mudie, a wonderful man who was so involved with the community.

“It’s a chance also to say thank you to the farmers who make up a lot of the bushfire brigade volunteers, some of whom had to leave their farms to fight fires for three weeks.

“It is an opportunity for the community to get together and look after each other’s mental health, without stigma.”

RAIN is primarily a growers’ organisation which operates around Ravensthorpe, Munglinup and Hopetoun.

It is a non-profit organisation which operates mainly on funds from grants.

The the Old Fitzgerald School Site is located between Ravensthorpe and Jerramungup.