Rewind a few months and the Dumbleyung community and shire staff were busy mowing lawns, tidying gardens, collecting rubbish and helping those in need to prepare to welcome the Tidy Towns judges to showcase the newly completed Bluebird Precinct and passion that has revitalised the town! To our delight Dumbleyung was nominated as a state finalist in the Heritage & Culture category of the 2018 Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities Awards along with Albany, Collie, Dowerin, Northam, and Quairading for their amazing projects!
Honoured to be a part of the 2018 Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities Award Ceremony it was exciting to see pictures of the completed precinct on the big screen in the big city! As the smallest community in our category we quivered with excitement when Dumbleyung was announced as the category winner, what special recognition of our community achievements! For every contribution great and small, we thank and congratulate our passionate community.
Below are some words on all the nominee’s projects from the 2018 Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities Award Ceremony:
Dumbleyung - winner
Bluebird precinct
The installation of the final interpretive panel for the Bluebird precinct project marked the completion of this outstanding four-year heritage project. The community-led initiative preserves and celebrates the significance of Donald Campbell's unrivalled 1964 World Water Speed Record on Lake Dumbleyung. The project has revitalised the main street into a vibrant heritage area. When driving into Dumbleyung you cannot miss the stunning replica of Donald's boat Bluebird Kl at the new Bluebird precinct and the wire sculpture of Donald. The site of the precinct is built upon existing CWA memorial infrastructure and the old railway station. The project, which includes landscaping, picnic areas, nature play, banners and the purchase of the Post Office building for an interpretive centre and cafe, make this project visually appealing and regionally significant.
Albany - finalist
ANZAC Albany Festival
Albany's heritage and culture projects are outstanding. The RSL and City of Albany collaborated to deliver the inaugural ANZAC festival, including the Convoy Campout event. Ship H MAS Newcastle officers performed a sunset ceremony and over 10,000 people attended the Troop March. The Field of Light art installation of 13,000 glass spheres will mark 41,000 troops who departed for the Great War from Albany.
Collie - finalist
Museum revitalisation
Collie's Coalfields Museum grew from humble beginnings, with local Stan Cull salvaging items from the rubbish tip. The collection grew into a museum run as a family concern for nearly five decades. This year the museum was taken on by a volunteer group, and 60 volunteers have put in over 6200 hours to catalogue, digitise and upgrade displays, with work still ongoing. The Shire of Collie repaired the building so that the museum, which was always a great place to visit, now displays a magnificent heritage collection.
Dowerin - finalist
Minnivale old bakery oven
The town of Dowerin aims to resurrect the history of the nearby village of Minnivale, once a thriving community. To date, volunteers and the Shire of Dowerin have revamped the Methodist church and general store and created the outstanding Wheatbelt Heritage Rail Discovery Centre. The oven is all that remains of a significant dynasty of bakers. Restoration of the bakery land has included clearing of rubbish, weeds and dead trees for safer access, erecting signage, and a protection area around the bakery, with further plans to preserve the oven and create an interesting visitor experience.
Northam - finalist
Bilya Koort Boodja Centre (8KB)
Set on the Avon River next to the Northam Visitor Centre, this unique cultural centre is a beautiful and spacious building that will have a regional impact. Completed in June 2018, BKB has a welcome space, interpretative space, sorry space and yarning circle. Interactive displays provide outstanding cultural educational experiences. The centre is a significant project and demonstrates outstanding commitment to, and preservation of, the culture of the Nyoongar Ballardong region. The Shire of Northam and Northam Aboriginal Advisory Group collaborated on the building. The centre will protect, celebrate and share the culture of the Nyoongar people and highlight land management practices that draw upon the knowledge of the land's traditional custodians.
Quairading - finalist
Stacey's Fat Lamb Train
The Quairading Agricultural Society and Land Conservation District Committee combined to acknowledge the entrepreneurial excellence of Stacey family who, from 1942-1973, commissioned an annual train at the Badjaling railway siding to take fat lambs to market. More than 10,000 lambs transported in 1971 made it the largest consignment from one farmer in the world at that time. Leslie Stacey received an M BE for his services to the fat lamb industry.
Article by N.Taylor