UPDATE 2: Due to other commitments arising QFest 12 has been postponed.

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, I unfortunately have to postpone WOzFest 12:00 – the new date is Saturday 25 May 2019, all other details remain the same. Steve in Brisbane has decided to also postpone QFest 12 to the same date.

From the europlus zone blog:

From our Northern Apple ][ Compadres comes the following announcement:

I am very happy to announce QFest 12, to be held in Brisbane on Saturday 27 April 2019, concurrent with WOzFest 12:00 and GORF, starting around midday Brisbane time (UTC+10:00).

As with previous QFests, there will be projects to work on, and an Applesauce on hand. We will enjoy video hook-ups with our Apple II brothers and sisters at other events around Australia. All food and drink will be provided.

Steven Kazoullis

Further details on the announcement post, and updates will be posted under the europlus zone’s WOzFest tag.

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, I unfortunately have to postpone WOzFest 12:00 – the new date is Saturday 25 May 2019, all other details remain the same. Steve in Brisbane has decided to also postpone QFest 12 to the same date.

From the europlus zone blog:

I’m very happy to announce the date for the next WOzFest, WOzFest 12:00 – Saturday 27 April 2019, starting around midday Sydney time (UTC+10:00).

The primary theme for WOzFest 12:00 is “time” – encompassing, among other things, time-related hardware and software, the ravages of time and what we might (or might not) do about them, and strategies for finding time to have fun with our retrocomputers.

Something new this WOzFest is a theme-related hardware project for attendees – it’ll be a treat to have the first WOzFest-branded product for attendees to work on, and the first product release at a WOzFest for some time. It’s an international collaboration which spans the timezones, and all I can say about the release of this particular product is: it’s about time!

For several reasons, there’ll be a secondary theme this time, and one not unrelated to prior WOzFests – preservation with the Applesauce. Applesauce is John Morris’ phenomenal USB interface for Apple ][ disk drives which takes Apple ][ software preservation to new heights by capturing magnetic flux-level images of disks. My interest in such devices goes back a way.

I’m still to organise any Skype calls but I am hoping we’ll be able to organise some sort of video hookup to GORF – The Great Oz Retro-Technology Festival – being held in Melbourne 24-28 April 2019 and organised by frequent WOzFest attendees Melody and April. There’ll definitely be another video hookup, which I hope to share details of shortly.

Further details on the announcement post, and updates will be posted under the europlus zone’s WOzFest tag.

Update: Unfortunately GORF was cancelled in early April due to lack of registrations.

The Great Oz Retro-Fest, (GORF) is a multi-day event celebrating the personal computing platforms of the 1970s, 80s and 90s including the Apple, Microbee, Commodore, Atari, Sinclair and other 8- and 16-bit computer lines. GORF is being produced by Teaching Electronics and Computing History (TECH) Inc. which is an Australian not-for-profit association.

GORF is happening from April 24th-28th 2019 at Urban Camp in Melbourne, Australia. Similar to KansasFest there is bunk-style accommodation provided on-site and participants are encouraged to live-in for the duration of the event.

Keynote speakers include Owen Hill, an original employee of Microbee Systems; Ewan Wordsworth Director of Microbee Technology Pty Ltd; as well as retro-technology researcher Dr. Melanie Swalwell from the Play It Again project.

Participants are also encouraged to give sessions, so the format will be very similar to the well known KansasFest and OzKFest events.

The cost of the event will be AU$360 (~USD$260) which includes 4 nights bunk style accommodation and most meals. Day passes will also be available.
Registrations close April 1st.

The GORF organizing committee includes Melody Ayres-Griffiths, the editor of Paleotronic Magazine, and past participant at Kansasfest and OzKFest events.

While in Melbourne, visit the Play-It-Again exhibition of a playable history of Australasian games at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

About TECH Inc
Teaching Electronics and Computing History (TECH) Inc. is an Australian not-for-profit association incorporated in the state of Victoria. The purposes of the association are to promote awareness and understanding of the fundamentals and history of electronics-based technologies such as computers through various means, including the creation of software, print and web-based materials, the holding of events and exhibitions, acquisition of items of historical significance for restoration and display, and any other activities as deemed appropriate by its members.