What Happened at Christmas
In this season of light and memory, the Barossa Regional Gallery becomes a place where stories return. A 30-foot tree once stood in the Tanunda Soldiers’ Memorial Hall; children gathered in its shadow, families sang. Now, those echoes meet new voices.
We make, we trace, we write, we remember. What Happened at Christmas is a weaving of heritage and imagination, a tender invitation to share the traditions that shaped us, and the ones we still carry. Here, Christmas is not a date, but a feeling of home.
Join us in a gentle remembering; of wonder, of belonging, of the Barossa itself. A season held, and held again.
What Happened at Christmas invites the Barossa community to remember and share Christmas stories, from childhood wonder to family traditions, festive gatherings and moments of quiet connection. Handwritten memories, family anecdotes and reflections from visitors will be displayed throughout the Gallery, surrounded by decorations inspired by the region’s own Christmas heritage.
Three creative collaborations bring these stories to life:
- Make a Pressed Tin Ornament: Printmaker Avylon Magarey has created linocut designs based on historic Barossa Christmas trees. Visitors are invited to trace and emboss these designs into soft aluminium to make ornaments to keep or add to the Gallery tree.
- Post a Christmas Memory: Artist Sam Cowley (Little Adventurers) has reimagined the Barossa Museum’s historic post office mailbox as a storytelling installation. Write your Christmas memory on special card from Daisy Loves George, collect a stamp along a short walk through town, and post it in the mailbox to hear voices sharing their own stories.
- Garlands & Stories: Start at Daisy Loves George, where designer Anna Hayes has created stationery for you to write Christmas memory or message at their vintage letter writing desk. Seal it, carry it through town, and post it into the Gallery’s story mailbox.
- Inside the Gallery, paper garlands designed in the same spirit of colour and pattern hold the room in celebration. A quiet connection between handwritten word and the festive space.
All welcome. Free. All materials supplied.
