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The Kingdom of Lochac is one of twenty "Kingdoms" or regions, of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) - an international organization dedicated to researching and recreating aspects of the Middle Ages.
Contents
Comprising Australia, New Zealand and their Antarctic territories, it is made up of almost 40 local groups.
The current King and Queen are Ariston Hegelochou and Lilavati Metoike.
The Kingdom takes its name from a Dutch term for Australia dating from 1630.
General
The group has around 2000 members, and is one of Australia's oldest Living History groups, having started in 1980. The Australasian Branch includes Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica
History
The SCA in Australia was initiated with a local SCA inspired group, "The Society for the Current Middle Ages"(SCMA) holding its first event in November 1980 The SCMA joined the US based SCA in Sydney around 1981, and in Christchurch shortly after. Other cities in both countries formed groups, but the New Zealand groups became part of the Kingdom of Caid, while Australia became the Crown Principality (and later the Principality) of Lochac under The West Kingdom. Lochac became a kingdom its own right in 2002, and the New Zealand-based groups joined in 2003.
Local Groups
The different branches of the group are known within the group by their SCA names, for instance Parramatta in Sydney is known as Stowe-on-the-Wowlde, the Blue Mountains is known as the Shire of Dismal Fogs, greater Sydney itself is the Barony of Rowany.
Other groups include:
Awards
The society has a number of awards that are given to group members to encourage their skills in Historical based arts. Examples of these include the
Rowany Festival
The group's largest event is the Rowany Festival, a week-long Medieval festival that features classes, tournaments, competitions and general revelry. It is held at Easter every year, near Sydney. Amongst SCAdians it is known as "Rowany", except those who live in the Rowany (Sydney) area, where it is known as Festival.
The Festival has been running since April 1983, is the longest running medieval/living history event in Australia. It has grown to its current size at which 1000 people may attend. It is the largest SCA event in Australia, and is a de facto "National event".
Some SCA members are involved in the Crossroads Medieval Village near Yass, New South Wales, and in the past the Rowany Festival has been held there.
As it is held over Easter, Christians generally get together in a discreet place to hold a scheduled Easter Sunday mass. And if Pesach falls at the same time of year, there are often people cooking in accordance with the very special customs that relate to that.
Traditionally large battles involving SCA Heavy Combat are fought at Rowany Festival that may include up to 300 combatants. Medieval feasts are held by the households participating. A "merchants row", a street of merchants, runs for the whole weekend, as well as a Saturday only market. Typically, the merchants sell arts, crafts and off the peg armour.
Rowany Festival has had five different locations. It was held from 1981 to 1997 at Fairholme Park in Wilton. It then moved to Tara Girl Guide camp in Silverdale in Western Sydney from 1998 to 2002, thence to the Crossroads Medieval Village medieval community in Yass. In 2008 it moved to the Glenworth Valley Horse Riding centre at Peats Ridge, New South Wales, and it has taken place at Camp Wombaroo near to Jellore State Forest since 2014.
Other events
Other large, multi day event activities include Canterbury Faire held in New Zealand, "Great Northern War" held in Queensland, Spring War held in Newcastle, "Autumn Gathering" and "Pencampwr" held in Western Australia.