Vale Bill Hauritz AM: Woodford Folk Festival Founder Passes Away

The beloved founder of the Woodford Folk Festival, Bill Hauritz AM has passed away, announced today on social media by Amanda Jackes, the event’s festival director.

While the circumstances surrounding his passing are not known, Hauritz had been suffering ill health, including a stroke during last year’s event, leading to donations being sought for the much-loved industry figure’s recovery.

Starting as the Maleny Folk Festival in 1987, the event took place at the Maleny Showgrounds until 1994 when it moved to its current home at what is now known as Woodfordia. It was Bill’s deep love for folk music that drove the event from being more than just a festival, but to become a whole movement.

Hauritz remained at the helm of the event until 2023 after battling to keep the event alive during COVID-19 where it was cancelled for two years running. He saw the event back on its feet and left the legacy of not just a festival, but of a sanctuary that is far more than just a “venue”.

Woodfordia has become a 500 acre cultural parkland and the Woodford Folk Festival draws over 120,000 people, creating a pop-up village every year celebrating art, music, culture and life to ring in the new year.

Jackes said: “Under Bill’s leadership, Woodfordia became a living, breathing expression of what a better world might feel like. His vision extended far beyond event-making. It was rooted in environmental stewardship, respect for Indigenous culture, intergenerational knowledge-sharing, and the protection and celebration of intangible cultural heritage, and a deep faith in humanity.”

Woodfordia was presented with the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Award at the Jeonju International Awards in 2023, an honour that Bill held dear. He was also recognised as a Queensland Great, received the Order of Australia (AM), and was honoured as a Smithsonian Fellow. However it was his visionary leadership that cemented his legacy. His ability to not just put on events, but to inspire people to action and give people a sense of belonging.

Jackes continued: “Bill didn’t just think in festivals or years. He dreamed in centuries. One of his most remarkable contributions was the creation of Woodfordia’s 500-Year Plan, an audacious, living document that imagines a future shaped by care for country, community and creativity. While others planned for seasons, Bill planned for generations, planting trees whose shade he would never sit under, building cultural systems designed to last. It was both a poetic gesture and a practical blueprint, and it stands today as one of the most enduring expressions of his belief that the best way to shape the future is to start building it now.”

Tributes have flowed for Bill, with Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs saying:

“Bob Hawke once told me I would never meet a better Australian than Bill Hauritz. That wasn’t just his conclusion. It was the conclusion of anyone who has spent a moment with Bill. He was enriched by music, passionate about the environment, and his instinct for kindness was matched by his humility. In the Woodford Folk Festival, he didn’t simply create a home for entertainment. He created an example of how people could live with less conflict and more care.”

Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup (The Angels, Gangajang) said Hauritz was a “true visionary” while Bluesfest founder Peter Noble said “What a Diamond; shining, yet just rough enough around some of the edges to be a man of the people”.

Singer Katie Noonan said “I am just so grateful I got to live in his lifetime and see his extraordinary leadership and vision come to life” while Eric Bogle said “Legend is too scant a word to describe what you achieved and the legacy you have left us.”

Bill is survived by his wife Ingrid, sons Tom and Jack, daughter-in-law Mel and grandchildren Elke and Stellan. But it is the tens of thousands of Woodfordians, those who volunteer or play at the festival, people to whom Woodford has become a place to belong and those that have had their lives shaped by the world-view that Bill’s vision of hope has presented who are also mourning today.

This year’s Woodford Folk Festival will no doubt become a tribute to Hauritz, with the community he built coming together to celebrate the legacy he leaves.