Steampunk is inherently quirky and slightly eccentric in a fascinating, intellectual and refined way. Steampunk Tasmania Festival will be a celebration of the genre. All activities, music, exhibitions, displays and workshops will be authentic and reflect the playfulness and uniqueness of the genre. Its retro futuristic nature combines ‘Victoriana’, Victorian era heritage, with mechanisation, inven
tion, art, literature and photography. George Town’s culture is synergistic with the essence of steampunk. George Town has a European maritime history dating back to Victorian times which is proudly celebrated through historic sites and commemorative exhibitions, two unique and outstanding exhibitions being the Bass & Flinders Centre, home to the replica of the Norfolk, and the Low Head fog horn, installed in 1929 and believed to be the only fully operational model of its type in the world. George Town is also the largest heavy industry precinct in Tasmania. Steampunk Tasmania festival aims to create a playful integration of George Town's seemingly disparate cultures and engender a stronger sense of place and pride embedded in industry and maritime heritage. The event will also be unique to Tasmania. There is no Steampunk focused event in Tasmania despite strong following of the genre internationally, in mainland states (network of festivals, facebook groups and blogs with followers on the mainland facebooks sites of over 80,000), and informally in Tasmania.
