Tossing the Caber at Eastfield Park
by Kieran Petrik-Bruce
7th April 2025
SINCE 1967, the City of Maroondah has been holding Highland gatherings and games.
In 2014, the Ringwood Games, as they were known then, were on the verge of collapse.
Now, just over a decade later, the Melbourne Highland Games & Celtic Festival is a massive celebration, with thousands pouring into Eastfield Park on Sunday, March 23, to partake in a fantastic event that stems from a centuries-old tradition.
In the earlier days of the Scottish Highlands, many clans would bring their best and strongest to the local lords.
Often, this was to ensure the mightiest of each clan’s warriors were in the mix if a “call to arms” was to occur.
These events would often take place at a castle or in small surrounding villages.
The men would compete in tests of strength, such as the Caber Toss.
Soon, these “games” became a bigger event as vendors soon realised they could sell food and wares to all those travelling to the event.
This is the origin of what is now celebrated worldwide as the Highland Games.
Today, on the other side of the world, events like this provide a family-friendly insight and celebration of Scottish and Celtic culture.
Clan MacLennan was the honoured clan of the day, an ancient and noble family steeped in Scottish history.
Their Coat of Arms, with the motto, “Dum spiro spero” (While I breathe, I hope), includes a piper because the clan is noted for its piping.
The Great Pipes of the Highlands were classified as a musical instrument of war in the 1700s, and through the sound of battle, the shrill and penetrating notes could be heard at distances up to 10 miles (16 kilometres).
What would a Scottish festival be without pipping?
The Victorian Pipe Band Championships were also held as part of the day’s activities.
Throughout the day, the various bands from around Melbourne could be heard fine-tuning and performing in the centre of the festivities, providing the backing track for all the clans and games around them.
This year, the Melbourne Games partnered with the International Highland Games Federation to include several ‘heavy’ events, including Hammer Throw, Weight for Height, Weight Throw, and Caber Toss.
With athletes from Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the Netherlands, Scotland, and Japan, the heavy events ran right through the day, providing plenty of highlights.
Several events saw some record-breaking performances.
Lily Riley (representing Australia) received gold in the Women’s A Group and achieved an Australian Record in the Weight for Height event.
Lily tossed the 28-pound weight over the bar at 20 feet to achieve this, a phenomenal effort.
Then, it was time for the Caber Toss.
The caber is not thrown for distance, but for style.
The caber is stood with the thickest part in the air, and the athlete then lifts it against their shoulder, gives it a quick flip, and tries to upend it so it is thrown to land 180 degrees in front.
A number of different-sized cabers were tossed throughout the day, and although many onlookers were not quite sure of the rules, every attempt was met with cheering and applause.
Away from the pipe bands and the heavy games, many onlookers watched the Scottish dancers, the Irish dancing, Morris dancing, and the folk music tent.
Those wondering about their genealogy or wanting to know about clans could wander the clan tents and learn about the rich history of all those in attendance.
The kids could have their photo taken with one of the Highland “Coo’s”, and many canine friends were roaming around the grounds enjoying the day, too.
For those looking for lunch, there were a number of Scottish and Celtic food vendors; the Celtic Bakery was particularly popular.
For those with and without Scottish or Celtic heritage, the Melbourne Highland Games & Celtic Festival is a great way to explore the ancestry of more than two million Australians (according to the 2021 Australian Census).
The games return in 2026, learn more at melbournehighlandgames.org.au.
