Cossack a work of art

Pilbara residents were treated to a Sunday of fun and entertainment at the seventh annual Cossack Family Day, with 5000 people turning up to enjoy the festivities.

The day featured Doopa Dog, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Tasmanian blues band Dudley and Cho, Pilbara Samba Band, Cuban musician Eliezer Aguila and 17 market stalls with plenty of quirky local products.

Children were thoroughly catered for with face painting, Kelsey the Barefoot Librarian reading stories, instrument making with the Pilbara Samba Band, mask-making with Awesome Arts, bouncy castles and inflatable squash.

Shire of Roebourne president Fiona White-Hartig said the Cossack Family Day was the first opportunity for the public to view artworks presented at the Cossack Art Awards the previous night. “It celebrates the arts and the culture and it gives an opportunity for the community to come and see all the wonderful artwork that everyone’s put in,” she said.

“It also brings Cossack alive, that one time of year when everyone can come out and appreciate the historic town and enjoy it.”

ATCO Power Australia sponsored the event and recently signed a new three-year sponsorship agreement with the Cossack Art Awards.

ATCO Karratha station manager Roger Boyle said ATCO is committed to be involved in communities where they operate and ATCO saw the Cossack Art Awards as being consistent with that goal of being positively involved in the community.

“It’s important for the community to have some options in terms of not just sand and dirt and digging holes for miners and things like that so cultural events such as this with entertainment gives people a bit of diversity in their life,” he said.

The Shire of Roebourne also thanked media partners Spirit Radio in partnership with Rio Tinto and Saint Luke’s Photography club for donating their time to capture the day.