PICTURE; Veronica McFarland with Shendl Russell at the 2007 "Internationals".

From the Internationals program

Joining together with Husband John McFarland, Gail and Terry Jones, Muriel Law and Mary Symes in 1979, Veronica formed the Peninsula Highland Dancing Association for the purpose of promoting Scottish Highland Dancing. The main objective of the group was focussed through a Highland Dancing competition which is this weekend being held for the 30th time.

Veronica has been instrumental in the preservation of PHDA, which for many years ran successfully in Curl Curl before moving to Gosford. It was Veronica alone who managed to reinvent the organisation and continued to run the annual championships at Gosford and Henry Kendall High Schools.

This competition/championship event became a major source of recruiting new highland dancers in the region and those dancers were then taught to excellent competition standard by Veronica. Three of those dancers were her own children who are now all members of CCHDI and contribute significantly to Highland Dancing throughout the world. Many of these dancers have become Champions including 2 Australasian Champions.

Both through CCHDI and her dance school, Veronica has saturated the Central Coast with quality Highland Dancing and it is quite noticeable in 2008 how many more Central Coast people know what Highland Dancing is due to her drive and expertise in the sport.

Veronica is also an examiner and judge and proudly puts the Central Coast on the map at major events worldwide. These have included the Australian Champion of Champions, the British Open and the Scottish National Championships held at Cowal Games, the largest Highland Gathering in the World.

In the late nineties the PHDA regularly held one of the largest Championship events in the country. This developed through the early naughties and in 2005 PHDA held the largest championship in Australia. This success came mostly from Veronica’s drive and respect from within the Highland community. This was the same year she directed the first Down Under the Kilt concert and employed the first International judge for PHDA.

Not only is Veronica respected in the Highland community, but she is a valued member of the local Central Coast Community and at Veronica’s 40th Anniversary of teaching Highland Dancing, she was described as part of the knitted fabric that brings life to communities by respected stage director Daryl Kirkness.

In 2007 Veronica instigated the organisation becoming Central Coast Highland Dancing Inc and led the committee as it applied to host the International Highland Dancing Championships of Australia. This application was on the back of years of self-funded research by Veronica and her team, including several trips attending major championships around the world.

With the name change and new championships the organisation began to host many dancing events including the Bounceathon, Central Coast Titles and the giving of the Gordy Wilson Scholarship. All these initiatives have either been created or endorsed by Veronica.

An inspirational woman who has dedicated her life to Highland Dancing and 30 great years to this small group, the Central Coast is privileged to have a lady as knowledgeable and giving as Veronica McFarland and we are proud to award her the very first Life Membership of Central Coast Highland Dancing Inc.