Tash - our MC

My family moved to Agnes Water in 1994 and I spent the next 13 years growing up in the local community and participating in local activities, committees and events wherever possible. In 2001 at age 14, I was asked by the 1770 Festival Committee if I would be interested in assisting to MC the iconic local event, an opportunity which I jumped at - with many nerves! I began doing half day co-MC duties in the first couple of years, to building up to being the MC for the 1770 Festival from start to finish - an exhausting yet exhilarating experience that I learnt a lot from.

Through this opportunity to be involved with the 1770 Festival, many doors opened for me, one which has brought me to where I am now was the meeting with GAPDL CEO (at the time) in 2006. My Mum (though he didn’t know it) was at the Tree Bar on her way to the Festival when a man sat next to her, they started chatting and he was interested to know if she knew how he could get in touch with the girl that was the MC. The man was Danial Rochford, CEO of Gladstone Area Promotion & Development Ltd and he had a Marketing Assistant's traineeship that he thought I would be perfect for.

He gave my Mum a business card and asked her to pass on to me and let him know if I was interested. Within a month I had been appointed to the Marketing Assistant, traineeship position based in Miriam Vale Visitor Information Centre with Greg Realf. Once I completed my traineeship I was lucky enough to be kept on with GAPDL and moved to Gladstone as an Administration Assistant and then onto Executive Assistant followed by Corporate Projects & Events Coordinator.

GAPDL was a fantastic place to work, however I was ready for more and in October 2008 I was appointed to Executive Assistant to Executive Director International at Tourism Queensland in Brisbane. Through my community involvement in Agnes Water and the opportunities that my home town provided for me, I have had many doors & experiences open to me that I am extremely grateful for. My career is exciting, ever changing and I love what I do working in Tourism, and that is thanks to the 1770 Festival. I look forward to working with Krystal and Chloe and helping them to get as much out of this experience as possible!!

and in training...

Chloe Olig-Walters and Krystal Hallam are really excited about the festival this year and they have a reason to be!  Both will be trained in the Art of MC by Tash Petrolati. While this is a new experience for the girls they are certainly not strangers to the limelight.

Chloe was MC at Fee' s Fun Dancers Summerfest in 2009 and had a role in the Rocky Horror Show at Agnes Water State School last year.  Chloe also assists on Reef Tours with her dad who says that he has taught her everything she knows.

Krystal was also in the school play and is currently in the Discovery Vibes Choir, Rosedale High School Band; has won a Central Highlands Eisteddfod for singing a duet and has been in the Re-enactment of Cook landing which she will be in again this year.