The origins of the Sydney Festival are in the Waratah Festival which was established in 1956 by the Sydney Committee and took place from late October to early November, coinciding with the blooming of the NSW emblematic flower the Waratah.
The roots of the Sydney Festival can be traced to the Waratah Festival, which began in 1956 under the auspices of the Sydney Committee. This event took place between late October and early November, during the peak blooming period of NSW's emblematic flower, the Waratah.