The Monaro Folk Society's
Annual Colonial Ball
or click here to go to the MFS Dance page.

The MFS runs an extensive programme of mainly informal dances throughout the year. But from time to time many dancers also like "a posh do" to give them an opportunity to "put on the dog". The programme therefore also includes a small number of more formal occasions.

The chief of these is the annual Colonial Ball, which has been held every year since 1981. This year's ball, in 2008, will be the 28^th such event. It will be held on 27 September, at University House, Australian National University.

Guests at the Colonial Ball are encouraged to dress in the formal styles of the Colonial and Early Federation periods, and the dance programme is designed bearing in mind that many ladies will wear hoop skirts. Gentlemen will have an excuse to wear black tie, with tails if available, and it is not unusual to see kilts and dress uniforms.

The inaugural Ball was held in the Refectory in the Union Building of the Australian National University on 7 March 1981, and this remained the venue for the next three years. The 1981 & 1982 Balls were each listed as an activity of the autumn Canberra Festival, but in 1983 the Ball became a springtime event. In 1985 the Ball moved to the Italo-Australian Club, probably largely because the concrete floor at the Refectory was not ideal for dancing. In 1986 the Ball moved again, this time to Albert Hall, which was then adopted as the permanent venue until 2005. In 2006 it was found that Albert Hall was not feasible, so the Ball returned to the ANU.

In some years, the underlying "colonial" theme has been combined with a special feature - Gold Rush (1983), Spring Flowers (1984), Masked (1986), Bicentennial (1988), The Bicycle (1989), The Caledonian Connection (1996), Maitland 1882 (1997), 70^th year of Albert Hall (1998), Dancing Through Two Centuries (1999), Carrying the Dancing Tradition into the New Millennium (2000), In the Tradition of Federation (2001), and Silver (the 25^th, in 2005). In 2006 there was a dual theme: Floral, to coincide with Canberra's Floriade festival, and Four Quarters to represent the roots of Australia's colonial dance heritage. In 2007 we remembered 80 years of Federal parliamentary government from the (new in 1927) national capital.

The 2008 Ball will have the theme of  “We Met At The Colonial Ball”, as proposed by Daryl & Diana Powell. So if YOU met your present partner at the MFS Colonial Ball, be sure to be there next September!!

For information about past MFS Colonial Balls, follow one of the links below. (Working on it... if anyone has memorabilia that would fill the gaps at 1984, 1989 & 1990 - particularly dance cards, advertisements and photos - and is prepared to lend them for scanning, it would be appreciated and acknowledged)

2005	2006	2007
2002	2003	2004
1999	2000	2001
1996	1997	1998
1993	1994	1995
1990	1991	1992
1987	1988	1989
1984	1985	1986
1981	1982	1983