Mr Loveluck attended his first National Eisteddfod in 1948

Each year the 75-year-old travels over 10,300 miles from his home in Brisbane to attend the week-long festival.

Born in Kenfig Hill, near Bridgend, he moved to the other side of the world 42 years ago but still speaks the Welsh language at every opportunity.

He said each Eisteddfod is different and he never tires of attending.

"If you are living in a country where you don't hear the language that often it's just so wonderful to have the language and culture given so much prominence," he said.

"It's the main reason why I come back every year - I'm glad Welsh is still the language of the festival."

It's thousands of miles and at the very least it's a 24 hour flight Alan Illtyd Loveluck

Speaking at this year's event in Swansea he added: "I can't get over how much work goes into it.

"It's a brilliant piece of organisation and it makes me feel so grateful to all the volunteers."

The former university chaplain remembers attending his first Eisteddfod with his brother and father in 1948 but his personal favourite was when the festival visited St David's in 2002.

"I remember seeing Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury) being made a bard and I listened to him preaching at the cathedral," he said.

"I know Rowan through his visits to Australia over the years."

Mining industry

He said there were strong links between Queensland and Wales and the Australian state held its own eisteddfod every year which he also attended.

"There were a lot of Welsh immigrants to Queensland because there was a lot of mining industry," he explained.

"When I went there first 42 years ago there were three Welsh churches but there is only the one left in Ipswich now.

"I also knew about 16 or 17 indigenous Welsh speakers but there are just three or four now."

Mr Loveluck said he combined his annual visit to the Eisteddfod with a chance to catch up with family and usually spent about a month in the UK.

"It's thousands of miles and at the very least it's a 24 hour flight," he said.