On Friday, 15 August 2025 (and the day before for those with a longer journey), 20 Juhid (leaders) made the pilgrimage to attend the annual Sõrve Weekend Leaders’ Meeting. Unlike previous years, the leadership team had the pleasure of planning the 2026 camp at the home of Sõrve, Point Wolstoncroft.
Sõrve is a much-loved event in the Australian-Estonian calendar. While initially founded to help Estonian migrants assimilate into Australia, nearly 70 years later, Sõrve now reflects the desire to support elanikud (participants) to engage with and learn more about their Estonian heritage.
The theme for Sõrve 2026 will be “The Year of the Estonian Book,” celebrating the richness of Estonian literature, storytelling, and the written word as a bridge between generations. Sõrve has provided generations of young Australian-Estonians with the chance to come together each January for a week of fun, friendship and cultural connection.
For most, it’s more than just a camp — it’s a second home. A place where memories are made, lifelong friendships are born, and Estonian culture and traditions are passed on. Sõrve has become a cornerstone for families seeking to keep Estonian culture alive across generations, and its continued success relies on the dedication of its volunteer Juhid. The vast majority of Juhid first came to Sõrve as elanikud themselves, as did many of their parents — and even some grandparents — reflecting the lasting impact Sõrve has on the community.
While plenty of planning happens online throughout the year, the weekend meeting is the highlight of the Juhtkond’s (leadership’s) calendar. Leaders both old and new came from all corners of Australia — by car, train, bus and plane (including one honorary leader who arrived by a more unusual method) — but all shared a passion and enthusiasm to make the 2026 camp the best Sõrve yet.
The opportunity to sit together in the very place we’ll be in during the first week of January made a world of difference. The leadership team spent a full day working together, planning new events (and reviving old favourites) that build on the successes of the 2025 camp, ensuring that all elanikud, from our oldest A Group to youngest F Troop, have the best possible experience from the moment they arrive on 4 January 2026. Whether through rahvatants (folk dance), laulmine (singing), eesti keel (Estonian language), käsitöö (handicrafts), sport or skits, the Juhtkond’s focus during the weekend was to make Estonian culture come alive in fun and engaging ways.
Seeing everyone in person helped conversations flow more easily. Ideas bounced around the room, and beyond the planning, everyone had the chance to connect — not just as Juhid but as friends. Many of us were catching up with our oldest friends, and all of us were meeting some of our newest. For those who were new to the leadership team, the weekend provided a chance to learn about life as a Juht, ask questions and feel supported. We shared meals, told jokes, and reminisced about camps gone by out on the jetty — and while everyone’s connection to Sõrve is a little different, each one is as strong as ever.
If having the leadership team together wasn’t exciting enough, the weekend meeting was capped off by the birth of honorary Juht — and future elanik — A. Tults, who decided he could no longer miss out on the fun that was happening without him. He officially arrived at Gosford Hospital in the early hours of Sunday, 17 August, happy and healthy.
By the end of the weekend, excitement for Sõrve 2026 had truly kicked in. The Juhid left with fresh ideas, clear plans, new friends — and a newborn. After all, Sõrve isn’t just about the camp; it’s about the community that makes it possible: the Juhid and committee who volunteer so much of their time throughout the year, the community who engage so deeply with fundraising events, and the shared commitment to giving the next generation of Australian-Estonians a place where they can belong, connect with, and celebrate their heritage.
Although the weekend meeting has been and gone, planning continues — and one thing is clear: Sõrve 2026 is going to be something special.
