COMING SOON: Border War XII

The SCA began in Berkeley (California, USA), when a group of history students from Berkeley University held a May Day celebration with an Arthuran theme in 1966. They dressed in medieval clothes, sang medieval songs, ate medieval food and had a medieval tourney with wooden swords.

They enjoyed the event so much that they did it again the next month, and the month after that, and the month after that.....and so the SCA was born.

The SCA is now an international organisation dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe.

Our "Knowne World" consists of 21 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in many countries around the world.

Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which may feature tournaments, arts exhibits, classes, workshops, dancing, feasts, and more.

Our "Royalty" hold courts at which they recognise and honour members for their contributions to the Society.

Visit the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. website 

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The SCA came to Australia and New Zealand in November AS 24 (AD 1980), when a group of students from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, decided they wanted to start or join a medieval group.    They looked at the clubs available and a couple of them travelled across the pond to California to check out the Laurel Kingdoms - in particular the Kingdoms of the West and Caid.

They decided that this was the re-enactment group that best suited their needs.  So the Principality of Lochac in the Kingdom of the West was created in Australia.  In the meantime in the Kingdom of Caid, the Barony of Southron Gaard was formed in New Zealand.

By July 2002 there were around 2,000 people playing in Lochac and Southron Gaard.  Lochac had over 30 Baronies and Shires, and there were 5 groups in the New Zealand portion of Caid.

After much diplomatic correspondence and Kingdom level discussions, the southern Pacific islands joined forces as the Kingdom of Lochac. An island Kingdom, bound, aye, girt by sea: with one large sinister red island, and one small sinister green island, and three dexterous islands forming a crescent off the coast of the large red one.  Great white desolate lands far to the south (currently being disputed with Ansteorra, An Tir and the West) make up the total lands of Lochac.

Events are held all over Lochac throughout the year. The  main Kingdom Events are:

Twelfth Night Coronation (always held early January) 
May Crown Tourney (always held early May) ** May 1st is also New Year's Day
MidWinter Coronation (always held early July)
November Crown (always held early November)

Other major events are: Canterbury Faire, 9 day event held South Island NZ end of January/start February;  Rowany Festival, 6 day event held Sydney NSW over the Easter holiday period; Cold War, 3 day event held the June long weekend; Great Northern War held in Brisbane Queensland in spring; and of course, smaller but most important to us, Border War, held the last full weekend in February each year.

Visit the SCAA / Lochac website     

Click here for an 'official' history of the Kingdom of Lochac
Click here for a list of the Princes and Princesses of Lochac
Click here for a list of the Kings and Queens of Lochac

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The original instigator of the Albury/Wodonga group for the SCA was Sybille le Chatte, along with Nicolas de Villiers. Sybille managed to lure Duke Sir Eirikr Thorinsson (formerly of An Tir) out of retirement. Others present at that first meeting were Cairistiona inghen Raonuill, Katrine du Payen and 'Big Dave'.  This meeting was held in the eighteenth year of the Principality of Lochac, in October of AS 32 (AD 1998).

Prince Alfar IV and Princess Elspeth II were on the throne.  The Principality was part of the Kingdom of the West, our King and Queen were King Jade IX and Queen Siobhan I.

In the November of that year we began the long haul towards becoming a Shire, but unfortunately Nicolas and Sybille departed our Shire for Politarchopolis in January 1999, at which time Cairistiona took over the reins as Seneschal of our incipient Shire. Prior to their departure they were able to impart their enthusiasm and skills sufficiently to enable the Shire to continue.

Our first major event was Border War, held in February 1999 at the Boathaven Caravan Park at Ebden on the shores of Lake Hume. At that time the Baronies of Stormhold and Politarchopolis did battle for the honour of being our sponsoring Barony and, from memory, Politarchopolis emerged victorious after much fighting.

Border War has been held on the last weekend in February every year since. In 2004 it was moved to Noonameena Lodge at Porepunkah and in 2006 was moved again, this time to Jindera.

Not long after the first Border War, our Duke was contacted by a couple who were keen to have a medieval wedding and were looking for clothing. Beoan and Thomasina Freborn rapidly became involved, and have treated us to much entertainment, fighting, fine food and excellent brews in the intervening years.

The early days were filled with a great deal of work, particularly in the areas of armoury with Duke Erik passing on his skills to enable four sets of group armour to be made, and Cairistiona producing gambesons to enable our first authorised fighters to take to the field. Our early fighters included Beoan Freeborn, Ulrik Eriksson, Oric "Oak" Argyle and Neko Kinku.

The arts and sciences also began slowly, but with a great deal of assistance and inspiration from wayfarers. Our first June Collegia weekend, which included the Arts and Sciences and the Duke Erik fighter school, were held at Lake Hume Caravan Park in 1999. A number of wayfarers came to share their skills, regale us with great tales and join us in a small feast.

Our first Pot Luck Feast was held at Cairistiona's home in winter 1999, when we were joined by a couple who were to become two of our most enduring wayfarers, Eleanora de Birch and Aeddan MacAndries of Stormhold. It was a cold and misty night that encouraged us to gather round the fires and share our first small local feast while listening to tales of great deeds being told by Duke Erik and others.

Our first demonstration was held as part of the Chiltern Ironbark Festival later that year, at which time we caught the attention and interest of two people who were to become keen members of our Shire, William Fitz Symon and Rosamunde von Stargarde.

In November 1999 we held our first event at All Saints Winery at Wahgunyah, where we were joined by SCAdians from Politarchopolis and Stormhold, who willingly and enthusiastically shared their skills and knowledge with our growing band. The event was a source of inspiration for much pageantry with a large number of banners being made.

Since that event we have received continued assistance from a variety of players, in particular the crew members of the Flying Ypotryll who visited frequently and assisted greatly with the early interest in Rapier as well as heavy fighting and arts and sciences.

Our first 'home' for our monthly Pot Luck Feasts and Tournaments, which had been traditionally held on the second Saturday of each month, was the Albury Guide Hall. However for many months we met at the homes of our members until such time as we could find a venue.

In November 2000 we undertook our first Principality event, November Coronet, which was held at All Saints Winery. It was a most enjoyable event, with some 20 fighters taking the field and Gui von Oberhausen emerging as the Victor on the day. The Shire was proud to play host to wayfarers from throughout the Principality.

March 2002 saw the long awaited acceptance of Bordescros as a Shire, following lengthy discussions on a suitable name which was acceptable to the Society Heralds. However it was not formally announced until the Coronation of Lochac's first King and Queen.

In July 2002 a small delegation, consisting of Cairistiona inghen Raonuill and Lowry ferch Gwynwynwyn, attended the Coronation of Lochac's first King and Queen, Alfar and Elspeth, at which time Bordescros received its patent as the first Shire created in the newly formed Kingdom of Lochac. 

In January 2003 the Shire hosted its second Kingdom event, being Twelfth Night for the investiture of Cornelius and Morwenna as Lochac's second King and Queen. It was hot and smokey due to bushfires, but good humour prevailed and all were comforted by the fine food provided by Beoan and Thomasina who excelled in the kitchen (yet again).

In August 2003 a new tradition was born in Bordescros, being the Benevolence Crusade autocratted by Thanatos. The event went well, and also saw the elevation of our first local member to the Peerage, when Cairistiona inghen Raonuill became a member of the Order of the Pelican.

In late 2003 we were contacted by a group of interested people in Wagga Wagga, and from this small beginning our North Ward: Loch Alba was formed, thus beginning another period of growth and development.

In 2004 our first lady heavy fighter was authorised, Lady Thomasina Freeborn, who was also our first authorised light fighter.

Our initially small group continues to grow and expand, thanks to the enthusiastic work and support of its members. Our Shire now began to host TWO monthly bashes, one at Bordescros Central and one in the North Ward.

 Then in 2008, we began doing demonstrations in the west and south of the Shire with the intention of encouraging the creation of two new Wards: West Ward situated in Deniliquin and South Ward located in Wangaratta.  Work promoting these two new areas in ongoing.

All four centres for SCA activities in the Shire look forward to the day when Bordescros is numbered among the fine Baronies of this Kingdom.

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