CELEBRATING EDITH COWAN WHERE HER LEGACY LIVES ON
One woman’s story. A state’s transformation. a concert that brings it all to life.
Some stories deserve to be told in the places they helped shape.
And when The Story of Edith Cowan arrives at Joondalup Festival this weekend, it will do exactly that.
On Saturday 14 March, Perth Symphony Orchestra will bring a powerful multimedia concert to Telethon Community Cinemas at ECU Joondalup — celebrating the life of one of Western Australia’s most extraordinary pioneers. And here’s the poetic twist: the performance takes place on the grounds of Edith Cowan University, named in her honour, with her original family home sitting just steps away from where the stage will be set.
History doesn’t get much closer than that.
Presented as part of Joondalup Festival 2026, The Story of Edith Cowan isn’t your typical history lesson. Instead, it’s a dynamic live experience blending orchestral music, storytelling, choral voices and visual projections to bring Cowan’s remarkable life to the stage.
If you recognise the name from the $50 note, that’s a good start – but Edith Cowan’s legacy runs far deeper. She became Australia’s first female parliamentarian in 1921, after decades advocating for women’s rights, children’s welfare and access to education.
At a time when the political world was overwhelmingly male, Cowan stepped forward with determination, compassion and an unwavering belief that society could be fairer and more inclusive.
This concert tells that story not through dusty textbooks, but through music, imagery and voice – weaving together archival footage, narration and live orchestral performance to create something both moving and immersive.
Leading the musical charge is Perth Symphony Orchestra, one of Australia’s most adventurous ensembles, known for transforming classical concerts into multimedia experiences that feel accessible, emotional and alive.
They’ll be joined by narrator Sarah McNeill, the voices of St Stephen’s School Stellas Girls Chorus, and the JSO Chorus, bringing Cowan’s story to life through sound and storytelling.
But perhaps the most powerful element of the evening is the setting itself.
The concert unfolds under the pine trees of Telethon Community Cinemas, an outdoor venue on the ECU Joondalup campus. As audiences settle into beanbags, picnic rugs or sling-back seats beneath festoon lights, they’ll be watching a story about Edith Cowan in the very place that continues her legacy.
Just metres away sits Edith Cowan’s original family home, making the evening feel less like a performance and more like a moment of reflection on the ground where history unfolded.
You’ll be experiencing history, in the present, where the past took place.
It’s the kind of detail that perfectly captures what Joondalup Festival does best – connecting art, place and community in ways that make the experience feel uniquely local.
And while the story itself spans more than a century, the themes remain strikingly relevant today.
Courage. Equality. Education. The power of one determined person to shift the direction of a society.
As the orchestra swells and Cowan’s journey unfolds on screen, audiences aren’t just learning about history – they’re experiencing it together.
So if you’re looking for one of the festival’s most meaningful evenings, this might be it: a celebration of Western Australia’s most pioneering woman, told through music, story and place.
