The Royal South Street Eisteddfod is held annually in Ballarat, Australia. It is also known as The Grand National Eisteddfod of Australasia and is administered by the Royal South Street Society.
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South Street began as a debating competition run by the South Street Society in 1891. It soon grew and now includes public speaking, acting, singing, music, dance and calisthenics.[1]
Since 1965 it has been held in Her Majesty’s Theatre Ballarat, Australia's oldest continually operating theatre. It was purchased after the South Street Society ran an appeal. Today Her Majesty's is the main venue for the Eisteddfod, but it was gifted to the City of Ballarat in 1987 to enable government funding for major upgrades, restorations and maintenance work.
Notable competitors past eisteddfods include:
For the best of this eisteddfod go and watch the wind band competition. Fantastic school bands compete at a professional level. The Highest category is dominated by three bands Blackburn High School Symphonic Band, Christian College and my personal favourite the Eltham High School Symphonic Band.