The September 17 and 18 event will offer interstate and local visitors bus tours of the Evandale area on the Saturday, before the Blessing of the Bonnets at Evandale Uniting Church on Sunday morning, which will be followed by a formal luncheon at the Memorial Hall. 

Governor Kate Warner will return to the town as the luncheon’s guest of honour, following a well-received appearance at this year's Evandale ANZAC Day service.

Organising committee president Ruth Tilsley said the bonnets, some of which have been made by Northern school students, would remain on display to the public after the event.

“There will be a permanent display of the bonnets in the history society, some are going there, some are going to Clarendon and we hope to have it rotating,” Mrs Tilsley said. 

“Riverside Primary have been decorating bonnets and their display will be there on the day, and Evandale Primary School grade 5 and 6 have taken it on as a history project.”

Committee member Kate Rowe, who has made more than 100 bonnets to honour the convict women who entered the country on the Australasia, said it was important to acknowledge the town’s convict heritage.  

“There was no recognition of the the female convicts, they were given a number and they weren't even allowed to use their names,” Mrs Rowe said.

“There's hardly any history or anything to commemorate that they even existed but without them we wouldn't be.”

The committee thanked a number of community groups including the Evandale Rotary Club, Evandale Historic Society and Northern Midlands Council for their help in organising the event.