150th anniversary of Welsh in Patagonia celebrated

The festivities began with a gala concert celebrating the Welsh pioneers. Credit: Diario Jornada

Celebrations are underway in the Chubut Province of Argentina to mark 150 years since the first Welsh settlers reached Patagonia on 28 July 1865.

They called the shore where they landed 'Porth Madryn'. It's now the city of Puerto Madryn, where the festivities began last night with a gala concert attended by First Minister Carwyn Jones.

After a re-enactment of the landing, the focus of the celebrations will shift to the town of Trelew, named after Lewis Jones. He was one of the leaders of the original 153 pioneers who sailed from Liverpool on the clipper 'Mimosa' and founded the Welsh colony in Patagonia.