Mafeking Rover Park Fundraiser - Rebuilding after the 2026 bushfires

Some of the best LARP memories are formed at the long form events, where LARPers come together and spend up to a week at a time fully immersed in our story. It would be impossible to spend this much time without the excellent venues and camping locations that host our long form events. One of the sites that holds such fond memories is Mafeking Rover Park, a long running favourite location for multiple different LARPs over the last decade. Mafeking Rover Park, its staff and rangers, and the wider scouting community have been a wonderful support and partner over the years.

Photo taken by the CFA of one of the damaged buildings at Mafeking Rover Park: Many LARPers will recognise this as our beloved tavern

When the summer bushfires of 2026 spread through the area, all of the Enclave LARP team were watching the news. Hoping that the blaze would avert course, and hopefully move around and burn out before too much damage was caused ... Unfortunately, it was not to be. The bushfires have caused significant damage across the site, including several of the buildings.

Harold Gardiner Hall suffered the most significant damage across the site.

Currently, Mafeking Rover Park is still unsafe to visit, and the official statement on https://www.mafekingroverpark.com/ advises everyone NOT to visit the site until they announce the all clear. We know that it's hard to sit still when disaster strikes, and everyone in the LARP community who has attended an event at Mafeking is likely asking 'What can we do to help?' As Mafeking has so wonderfully worded it on their website: "Scouts Victoria has opened a donation page to support Mafeking as we move into recovery and rebuilding. This is a chance for our Scouting community to give back to a place that has shaped leaders, friendships, and lifelong memories." When the Enclave Battle LARP team last checked, the fundraiser has already managed to raise over $50,000 - an incredibly fast response from so many - and not just from the Scouting community, but also from the wider population who have all loved visiting and using the site. The fundraiser is well underway, but as many of us know, brand new buildings are expensive! The Enclave Battle LARP team would like to encourage the LARP community to pitch in to the fundraiser however you are able, and give back to such a wonderful place that has hosted us many many times. If you have the chance, please go to the Mafeking website to learn more, or click the links below to go directly to:

• their fundraiser, 'Standing together for Mafeking', where your dollars will go exactly where they are needed,

• or Register your offer to help in the form of physical labour when the time for rebuilding comes around.
  

Enclave Battle LARP is a community run organisation, and so is Mafeking Rover Park. When our communities come together, through good or bad times, we can achieve amazing things.