Celebrate Stanhope festival committee members Susie McGraw, Brett Ould and Glenda Cowie toast the success of the food and wine event.
Diversify or die has been a constant message for Victoria’s small country towns, one which has been not only heard — but embraced — by the Girgarre and Stanhope communities.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
While they remain fierce rivals on a sporting front, the leading identities of Girgarre and Stanhope have combined resources and expertise to continue their share of the spotlight on the Campaspe Shire calendar of events.
In the coming days the Girgarre Moosic Muster will launch into another year, continuing the momentum which started with Celebrate Stanhope in early October, continued with the launch of the rail trail that links the two towns and was further enhanced by the visit of the trophy awarded to the winner of the nation’s most famous race — the Melbourne Cup.
Not too far to the north of the two towns, Tongala has also made inroads into its status as an attraction of note alongside the likes of the Port of Echuca and Kyabram’s Fauna Park, which was recently made a member of the Zoos Victoria family.
Tongala’s artistic flavour, heavily influenced by renowned muralist Murray Ross, has extended to its hay bale trail and town square development.
It also became a member of a three-pronged October-based festival schedule with its Eats and Beats event.
While the Kyabram Tastes and Tunes Festival had to be moved to February 4, it had been planned to run with the Tongala and Celebrate Stanhope events.
Once the heartland of the Goulburn Valley’s dairy farming industry, the Campaspe Shire townships have thrown themselves headlong into the mix as ‘must visit’ towns on the back of enthusiastic work by tireless development groups.
Gargarro Botanic Gardens project convener Athol ‘Doc’ McDonald at the site of the soon to be multi-million-dollar Girgarre attraction.
Photo by
Holly Curtis
Jan Smith, Kezia Talbot and Athol ‘Doc’’ McDonald have led the charge at Girgarre, a town that will soon have the final touches put on an enormous project, which will feature a modern-appointed function centre.
The Gargarro Botanic Gardens project started on the back of the closure of Girgarre’s Kraft factory.
Forward-thinking town leaders knocked back a $50,000 compensation offering and, instead, pushed for the land to be given to the community.
The resulting multi-million-dollar botanic garden development will be opened early this year and continues the energetic expansion of the towns that have been major winners in the Campaspe Shire Council’s Place-Based Plan implementation.
Glenda Cowie and her band of helpers at Stanhope have not only managed to stage an inaugural food and wine festival in their town, but they also had the Melbourne Cup stay overnight in the town.
While the Girgarre project has been more a state and federally funded development, the 5km rail trail that connects the two towns has drawn on the support of local government and understanding of landholders to further link the towns.
The neighbours, which were better known as dairy farming towns with a strong allegiance to dairy-based factory products, can now lay claim to offering a significant range of attractions for residents and visitors alike.
All three towns — Stanhope, Girgarre and Tongala — have the common thread of finding committed residents prepared to follow through on concepts after initial conversations with Campaspe Shire officers.
And the next stage of the towns’ development will be even more significant as the council now moves to offer residents the chance to have an input into the future of council-owned land and buildings.
The Township Facility Plan process has started in Tongala, which has about a dozen buildings and land which will be have their futures considered. Any potential funds from sale would benefit the development of community projects.
Girgarre and Stanhope will undergo the same process, ensuring the continued development of the rural communities and the assurance of a bright future for their residents.
27°C