August

Albany Is launched at Albany Town Hall on 6 August, introducing an audio experience shaped by interviews with more than 170 people from across Albany.

The launch featured a demonstration of the free app and a panel discussion with community members who contributed their stories, including students from Albany Senior High School.

Guided by Menang Elders, migrants, artists, workers, young people and other community members, listener can explore stories of Country, migration, industry, environmental restoration, identity and belonging.

Select ‘Learn More’ below to discover more about the project and how to listen.

Albany Is, presented by FORM and produced by EnvelopeAudio and Barking Wolf, as part of the Albany 2026 program. Lotterywest is a Major Supporter of the City of Albany 2026 Program. Minderoo Foundation is proud to be the Lead Partner of Albany Is.

Images: Krysta Guille.

A sold-out audience gathered at Albany Town Hall on 8 August for the launch of Josephine Jay’s documentary In the Making.

Created over almost a year, the film offered a glimpse inside studios, sheds and creative spaces across Albany. It shared the stories and practices of local artists and makers working across glassmaking, scrimshaw, ceramics, papercutting, wearable art, instrument making and other creative forms.

Several of the featured creatives displayed their work at the launch, allowing audiences to experience their craftsmanship beyond the screen.

Together, the documentary and launch event highlighted the skill, individuality and dedication of the region’s creative community, preserving a snapshot of Albany’s vibrant artistic identity during its bicentenary year.

The City of Albany was proud to support In the Making through Regional Event Sponsorship.

Images: Nic Duncan

Albany Town Hall was filled on 13 August for the launch of Voices of the South: Reflections 2026, a special bicentenary edition of the annual literary anthology.

The collection brought together 83 contributions from 61 writers connected to Albany, including stories, poetry, memoir, history, essays and personal reflections. Contributors explored Menang culture, local history, community life, work, architecture, the environment and the many experiences that shaped Albany.

Many of the featured writers attended the launch, where extracts from eight works were presented, offering audiences a glimpse of the different voices and perspectives captured within the book.

Baker Boy was welcomed to Albany for the first time at a sold-out Live @ the Town Hall on 22 August.

The program brought five artists to the Albany Town Hall stage, beginning with Ricky Neil Jr. and continuing with performances from JJ Vacant, INKABEE and Miss Kaninna before Baker Boy’s headline set.

Music, movement, culture and language filled the venue as audiences danced, sang and shared the energy of one of the largest and most ambitious Live @ the Town Hall events presented to date.

The event brought nationally recognised performers together with emerging talent in an intimate regional venue, demonstrating the power of live music to create connection and shared experience. It became a standout night in the Town Hall’s program and a memorable moment in the Albany 2026 calendar.

Presented by the City of Albany, and supported by Revive Live.

Images: Krysta Guille

Historian and author John Dowson launched Early Albany at Albany Town Hall on 28 August, presenting the result of around 3,000 hours of research into the region’s earliest recorded history.

Spanning 1595 to approximately 1890, the 208-page publication traced the navigators, explorers, sailors and maritime expeditions that connected Albany with the wider world. It also examined the relationships between Menang people and early European visitors and settlers, whose journals and artworks provided insight into Albany’s place in maritime history.

The launch featured a conversation with Dowson about the research and stories behind the book, followed by its official launch by Matt Benson-Lidholm, book sales and signings.

Supported through the Albany 2026 program, Early Albany expanded the region’s historical record and offered an accessible account of the people, voyages and encounters that shaped its early colonial history.