But long running, fervent discussions had developed between the Shire of Woorayl, Cr Terry Hall and his supporters, and the South Gippsland Conservation Society who fought for the park to be retained, seeking the support of Mr. Kennan. Finally an independent tribunal of the Town and Country Planning Board was commissioned by the State Government, and it’s findings recommended Apex Park be rezoned from recreational to special purposes to allow for the elderly units. Jim had a crucial decision to make.
It was a radiant summer’s day, late February 2010, when I stepped out my front gate into Wallace Avenue. Across the court my neighbour Barb was topping driveway weeds with a shovel.
“They’re at it again, Judy,” she raged, looking up.
“Pardon?” I said, ambling over.
“They’re trying to sell the park!” She banged her shovel against the fence. “It’s in the Sentinel… just a minute...” She stomped inside her house and reappeared with a newspaper cutting, shoving it in my face. “So small I almost missed it,” she said as I peered at the tiny square of paper. One paragraph, two sentences. Cr. Ross Smith announcing the vacant lot on Wallace Avenue, Inverloch, was to be rezoned and sold for residential development. Market value: $270,000.
“What?” My hands came to my face as I gazed across our precious neighbourhood park. Designated in 1987 as public open space, it had remained in a state of neglect ever since, but we all loved it. A special ambience hovered over this land, a calming bright energy. But more than that, it was our own space to breathe. The neighbourhood kids had grown up together in that park; when the grass was short enough they’d kick the football, fly kites, or someone’s Dad would mow a cricket pitch in the centre. When the grass was too long they’d lie flat on their stomachs and play hide and seek. And during the waterlogged winter months, they’d stomp around in gumboots and come home with muddy smiles.
It was their space.
And it wasn’t the first time Council had proposed to sell it.
In December 1997, letters informed the residents of a planning permit [*2] which had been lodged by Bass Coast Shire Council for a proposed dwelling, outbuildings and works at 16 Wallace Avenue. The letter stated a copy of the plans could be inspected at Council Offices. Objection letters were sent in – ‘this block was given in exchange for Apex Park, it’s a community asset, the application should only be considered by an independent body such as appointed by the Minister of Planning or his department, not by Council who is the proponent as well as the responsible authority, no actual plans were available for viewing…’. Council relented, the park was retained. Then in February 2009 BCSC informed the residents of an investigation and consultation process underway with a view to the possible disposal of the property, and again the residents objected.
Now here we were facing the same challenge.
“It’s a case of pre-emption,” Barb was saying, and my eyebrows shot up at her knowledge and passion. “It would be an insult to volunteers to sell this park for Council’s monetary gain. It would be an insult to all the people who worked hard, very hard, for the community back in 1986-87, between Apex and a group of local residents who spent many volunteer hours of service to provide such a valuable amenity for the aged – Frank and Dot McGarvey, Doug and Veronica Muir, Len and Jan Williams… Terry Hall… the Shire of Woorayl… the Ministry of Housing.”
Frowning hard, I tried to take it all in. I knew virtually nothing of local politics, much less of Council. I put my bins out every week and paid my rates, but that was about it. And I loathed conflict of any kind, especially confronting authority. Yet here was my quiet, unassuming neighbour with so much passion and knowledge! Reeling off names and events I’d never heard about.
“In the past twenty years the locals have petitioned three times for play equipment here,” Barb was saying. Her hands flew up in exasperation. “Rainbow Park is useless for locals during tourist season.”
And I had to agree.
Once home, I turned on my computer. The minutes of the BCSC Ordinary Meeting, 17th February 2010, were easily accessed.
‘The reserve is surplus to Council’s requirements largely because of its small size and inconvenient location… it was acquired by the former shire of Woorayl on 8 December 1987, 2 ½ years after its registration on the Plan of Subdivision… While it was zoned appropriately for a Recreation Reserve (PPRZ – Public Park Recreation) neither the former shire or the current council have ever developed it in any way, for over twenty years it has been an area of roughly mown grass and if used at all, only for overflow parking for neighbouring properties.’
“That’s not true!” I said out loud.
‘The local residents in favour of its retention consistently argue that it should be developed as a playground but the Council’s Open Space Plan sets a minimum 10,000 square meters for a local level social family recreation park… a playground would cost $60,000 with a current lifespan of 5 years… Council’s budget for playgrounds was already fully committed… only 70-80 households could be expected to utilise the park and many of those households don’t have children… [it] fulfils no service delivery function for the wider community… the local resident who advised that the Recreation Reserve was acquired by the former Shire of Woorayl in order to partly offset another area of land lost to Public Open Space may well be correct, unfortunately the records available to the current Council cast no light on this matter and the fact that the former shire didn’t develop it before Council amalgamation suggests it wasn’t a wise acquisition and there is no realistic prospect that it ever will be developed.’
“Why not!” my thoughts screamed. “Why shouldn’t it be developed!”
Face set hard, heart thumping, I forced myself to read the minutes again. Carefully.
‘According to local Government Act 1989… submissions will be considered before a final and binding decision is made. The owners of properties in Wallace Avenue and Phillip Street are to be sent a copy of the text of a public notice that will be published in the South Gippsland Sentinel Times. A Committee of Council has been appointed to hear submissions.’
I closed my eyes and expelled a deep breath; anger was a useless waste of energy and emotion.
We were going to have to get organised.
By 18 March, Barb had presented a letter to BCSC on behalf of the residents, requesting play equipment and stating we were using the park as much as possible given its unkempt state. Enclosed was a photograph of the many neighbourhood children along with a petition signed by 38 local residents. A reply from Council thanked her for her contribution and stated her letter would be considered as part of the submissions. Then on Tuesday March 30, the official notice appeared in the South Gippsland Sentinel Times – we had until 29 April to present our written submissions.
Ken Smith MP received us personally into his office in Wonthaggi – Barb, my husband Norm, and myself. “Get onto the media,” he said, “the Star and Sentinel Times. And keep the pressure on – articles, photos, letters to the editor; generate a huge public interest. Push Ross Smith – he represents you as rate payers and should be on your side. Do your homework and have a plan of all Inverloch parks to present to the Committee. A group of you should also attend the deciding Council meeting to keep the pressure on Ross Smith who will be representing you.”
We contacted the papers and talked to locals. I researched public parks in Inverloch and dragged my children around to each one, photographing their size. Notices were letterboxed to surrounding streets, inviting neighbours to attend a meeting at our place. Among the attendees were Trina Phillips and Dave Dockery, both of Wallace Avenue, and along with Barb we got to work, labelling ourselves the Wallace Avenue Neighbourhood Community and carefully addressing each of Council’s reasons to sell. We gained the written support of Inverloch Rotary and Inverloch Lions Clubs. We researched playground equipment and obtained a quote for $25,000 from Ken Aly, President of Inverloch Lions Club. We sent a letter to Thiess Degremont asking if they would consider supporting our project. LifeStyle Gippsland Magazine published an article for us. We gained the interest and support of Inverloch Community Planning Group who were facilitating a forum on the Future Recreational Needs of Inverloch. We designed a flyer inviting the community to a rally onsite and delivered it to neighbouring streets, and I stood shy but determined at the entrance to the Kindergarten and School handing them to parents. We researched Bass Coast Shire’s Open Space Plan, noting all the clauses that supported the retention of our park.
Then Trina said: “Maybe we should do a survey.”
My eyes flicked from side to side. It was a great idea, but walking into people’s yards? Invading their privacy? Interrupting their lives? “I’ll go if you go,” I said.
Within a two-street distance of Wallace Avenue, we counted houses and conducted a survey/petition. “Your turn to knock,” we’d say to each other, hesitating outside a gateway. But we were surprised at the result: most people we spoke to didn’t know the park existed, and only one of the 59 occupied houses refused to sign – a grumpy elderly man who raged that children had no place in Inverloch, that it should be a retirement town only.
Once home, we tallied our sheets – the survey documented over 250 houses within easy walking distance of the park, and more than 200 children who lived at or regularly visited those households and who would use the park it if it were properly maintained or developed for its intended use. Most notably was Bill Phillips: “I’ve lived here for thirty years,” he said, “and in all that time people have said – ‘Wallace Avenue? That’s the street where the kids play on the road.’”
One afternoon I took a friend into the park. Our feet shuffled through the fragrant grass and a luminous joy closed my eyes and had me breathe deep. Bees hovered over dandelion flowers and boisterous Wattle Birds wove through a pear tree. “Isn’t it beautiful out here?” I said. My eyes shone as I told her the history and spoke of our vision to have it saved and developed. Silent she listened, looking over the land, shielding her eyes. Then her direct gaze came back to my face. “If you’re fighting the Council you’ll never win,” she said.
My eyes dropped and I turned away, my mouth a line. I had heard this same sentiment expressed a lot in previous weeks and it made me angry. It was like putting a death sentence on our dreams and efforts, but more than that it was a presumption that we were in a fight with Council. But it wasn’t a fight. All correspondence from Council had been polite and reasonable, closing with invitations to reply, to submit, to contact; that didn’t seem like a fight to me. It was an opportunity.
And so we continued to build our case, but there still remained the vexing issue of documents pertaining to the acquisition of the park to offset loss of Apex Park.
“Who owned this land before?” I said to Barb.
“Denis Ginn,” came the instant reply, so I rang him up.
“Oh yes!” His voice was warm, enthusiastic. “That used to be the house paddock next to the old homestead. That’s why the fruit trees are there. There was a water trough in the wet spot in the middle.”
I remembered the gentle old cottage crouched under trees, reeking of history… and the day the excavator gouged it to the ground.
“The Shire of Woorayl bought the property from me in 1987,” Denis was saying, ‘to offset the loss of Apex Park for the elderly units.”
“Do you have any documents?”
“No… but you could try Ron Stanley – he was the Shire Secretary. I have his number. Or any of the members of Apex – Frank McGarvey… Doug Muir...”
Ron showed an immediate interest with anecdotes and accurate information. Yes, Wallace Avenue was one of the parks set aside to offset the loss of Apex Park – Jim Kennan visited the site. The other parks were Katrina Street, Marion Court, Beach Avenue [*3], Florida Avenue.
“Do you have any documents?” I said, but the answer was still no, and the deadline for written submissions was approaching.
“You could request an extension,” Dom Brusamarello of Inverloch Community Planning Group said. “I’ll help you draft a letter.”
So, with his help, a letter was sent to Council respectfully requesting a 21-day extension and a copy of any documents held in Council’s possession relating to the transfer of said land. Council’s reply granted an extension of 10 days, along with an invitation to present any further submissions personally to the Committee. The only document they had was a slim file containing the deed of sale, which the group was welcome to view.
Days slipped by, resources exhausted.
We sent our written submissions, heavy of heart.
Then one day Trina called: “Hey Judy, I’ve contacted Jim Kennan.”
My mouth dropped open. “And he replied?”
“Yes!”
She forwarded the emails: ‘21 May 2010. Dear Mr. Kennan, I write to you regarding a State Government ruling you passed in 1987 that detailed that in order for the rezoning and development of Apex reserve to go ahead, other neighbourhood parkland in the area must be purchased by the Shire in order to offset the loss of Apex parkland. One of the smaller parklands purchased was 16 Wallace Avenue Inverloch. Ron Stanley, former Woorayl Shire Secretary, remembers you visiting this site. In 1994 there was a shire amalgamation in this area, which resulted in Inverloch becoming part of Bass Coast Shire. Currently Bass Coast Shire is proposing to rezone this parkland as residential and sell it… [they] apparently have no evidence and little knowledge of the ruling you made regarding Apex Park in 1987. I have contacted several government agencies including the Department of Planning and Community Development, Crown Land and Public Land Management, Victorian Parliamentary Library and Public Records Office, but unfortunately I have not been able to find any details of this ruling. I am hoping that you may have some information on where I can find and obtain a copy of this ruling. Any other relevant information regarding this matter would also be very helpful and much appreciated. Thank you for your time.’
And there below was his reply: ‘Dear Trina, I remember this issue quite well, and my visit there. Unfortunately I do not have any papers relating to it. However the Department of Planning would have had the papers and they must be accessible, even if archived. I suggest you press the issue with them.’
Trina pressed the issue.
So did Gerry Lonergan, Labour Party Candidate and member of Inverloch Rotary Club. But to no avail.
On Sunday 23 May over 60 residents turned up at Wallace Avenue Park in a huge show of support, the rally being published in the local papers. Meanwhile I began shadowing the aged facility now on Apex Park, and a local directed me to an elderly lady residing in one of the units.
I found her bent over her garden. “Um, excuse me,” I said. “Do you know any history on the development of this complex?”
Her face lit with a smile and she hurried to open the gate. Inside, I gazed about at the compact, comfortable unit while she rummaged in a dresser drawer. “It was Terry Hall who did it,” she said, still beaming as she handed me a yellowed newspaper clipping. “That’s him there.” She pointed to a gentleman standing before a crowd of elated people at the opening to the complex. I peered hard; I’d seen him around, had a few fleeting contacts with him.
It was time for school pickup and on my way home I called in to buy milk, my thoughts on the lady and the photograph. As I drove back up past the post office, a gentleman crossed the road and my eyes popped as my head swung sideways. I screeched into a U-turn and scrambled from the car.
“Excuse me? Terry?” And he stopped.
“Yes, the park on Wallace Avenue was one of several given in exchange for Apex Park,” he said. “A dispute developed about the loss of the park. And a rare onion weed was growing there. It went to state level and Jim Kennan ruled that public open space must be preserved.”
My body stilled. “Do you have any documents?”
“Yes.”
Breath deserted me.
“I gave copies of the minutes of the Shire of Woorayl meetings to the Inverloch Historical Society,” he said. His eyes smiled. “I’ll be happy to get them for you.”
Mere days before the Committee meeting, I found myself graciously ushered into Terry’s home. “This is my wife Lois,” he said, pausing while we exchanged smiles before leading me into his office. In awe I watched him slide open the drawer to one of many filing cabinets and flick through a few files before lifting out newspaper cuttings, all relating to the elderly units. “Wow,” I said, looking at history in my hands, all the stories and anecdotes I’d heard but not seen. He was walking to his desk. “Here are the minutes you’ll need,” he said, handing me a stack of foolscap buff pages covered with typeset printing.
I felt as if I was handling gold.
“You can photocopy them if you like,” he said. “Then bring them back and I’ll return them to the Historical Society.”
Once home I sent an email to Jim Kennan: ‘Thank you for your reply which generated great encouragement and appreciation among our members… we have been most fortunate to have obtained a copy of the original Shire of Woorayl Council minutes… They contain within them a reproduction of a letter you sent regarding the Shire of Woorayl Planning Scheme Amendment No75 Part A…’
And his reply: ‘Thank you for the update, I do remember visiting the park, and I wish you well in your endeavours. The encroachment on public open space is a continual pressure which requires community groups like yours to oppose. Best wishes. Jim Kennan.’
It was to be only a couple of months later that he died.
7th June came, the day of the Committee hearing at the Council offices. We were to wait in the reception area off McBride Avenue and be escorted to the meeting room. I found myself trembling; there was so much at stake here. I wore a business suit and new shoes to bolster my courage.
Present were Cr Ross Smith, Cr John Duscher, Cr Gareth Barlow and Cr Veronica Dowman, Ella Angarane (Recreation and Leisure Planner), and David Wall, (Facilities Officer).
Our group was invited to speak first. We were organised; we all had our points to deliver. We gave a report of our survey, stating that the park was the only park in the area and was safe. With increasing high-density housing and influx of tourists these neighbourhood parks are more important than ever, we said. We presented a map of parks in Inverloch, with photographs of each comparing their size to Wallace Avenue Park. We presented Ken Aly’s quote for play equipment, adding that Clay Wyhoon, Landscape Builder, had volunteered to help with construction and maintenance. We proposed that the site was largely unused only because it was undeveloped, unkempt and unknown. We suggested that Bass Coast Shire had been reaping revenue from the elderly units now on Apex Park; why couldn’t some of that be used to develop and maintain this heritage? We raised the issue of increased traffic created by further residential development, and that the former owners of 14 Wallace Avenue were refused permission to subdivide because of this. We spoke about planting native trees to offset the loss of wildlife habitat due to vigorous housing development in Inverloch. We referred to specific details in the Bass Coast Shire’s Open Space Plan, stating the relevant clauses that supported retention of the park and the benefits to health of public open spaces: ‘Natural environments have been proven to stimulate wellbeing in all ages,’ we said. ‘Our children and adults, whether young or old, require these environments to maintain optimal health. Can you please assist us in creating and maintaining this environment for future generations? Once the park is gone, it’s gone forever.’
Dom Brusamarello spoke on behalf of the Inverloch Community Planning Group, that ‘Public Open Space is highly valued by the community and is seen as a vital community asset for present and future generations,’ and we presented a joint letter of support from Inverloch Rotary and Lions Clubs, their closing statement being: ‘The bottom line is that additional recreational/community land availability within Inverloch is a very significant requirement and objective of our local community and our organisations are keen to work with both Council and the community to achieve this goal.’ Then Barb spoke on the background to the park, how it would be an insult to volunteers to even consider selling it, and in reply to Council’s comment that there were no records of the exchange of land for Apex Park, I handed the Committee a photocopy of the Shire of Woorayl Council minutes 14 August1987, and read the reproduction of Jim’s Kennan’s letter:
‘I have given careful consideration to all submissions and representations… I am not prepared to recommend approval of the amendment as it stands… I would be prepared to recommend approval of the amendment to rezone [Apex Park] provided that an equivalent amount of local open space was made available and developed elsewhere in Inverloch… I note that your council has asked your Town Planner to investigate areas for the establishment of neighbourhood parks …’
And the Town Planner report: ‘Area 5 – Tower, Williams, Kenneth, Pier, encompassing Phillip Street and Wallace Avenue – there are no parks within this neighbourhood. … Two large sites exist at the end of Wallace Avenue, which is a court. Hence it would be suitable for the establishment of a park. Conclusion – A site off Wallace Avenue should be purchased and developed. Local residents should be surveyed as to their needs/ideas for a park.’
There was silence among the committee.
I was still trembling.
Ella then presented Council’s case and our group was asked to leave without being given a chance to reply. But where did that leave us?
All that was left was to wait.
Even though our lives were full of everyday responsibilities, they still seemed empty.
We entered a void.
The Ordinary Meeting of Council to decide the outcome was to be held on 28 July 2010, but several days prior Cr Ross Smith walked up Wallace Avenue. On his face was a smile, in his hand were letters.
We had been successful.
As soon as the minutes of the meeting were available online, I read them over and over, laughing one minute and shaking my head the next. ‘The Committee was impressed by the level of enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by the submitters and by the support they garnered from the wider Inverloch community. It recommends that they be given an opportunity to develop a Draft Landscape Plan for passive recreation for the site. Council now resolves that the land at 16 Wallace Avenue be retained as an area of public open space for passive recreation. Most submitters highlighted the fact that the land was acquired to offset the loss of public open space (Apex Park) before public housing could proceed, however it was the present and future role of the land, rather than the issues around its acquisition, which ultimately convinced the Committee of Council to recommend its retention.’
The official Council letter came on 3rd of August, the local papers covering the story. It was a victory for democracy they said, with Cr Ross Smith attending the park for photos, Barb congratulating the Councillors for their decision, and children holding up a sign ‘Thank You Bass Coast Shire Council’.
Barb and I looked at each other. “It’s not over yet, is it?” we said. “We’re going to have to do it properly this time, so we don’t end up here again in another ten or fifteen years.”
Gerry Lonergan offered to help. From the onset of our campaign he had shown a vital interest and soon volunteered to become part of our team. With a background in Legal Studies, he brought with him extensive knowledge and experience as well as the full backing of the Inverloch Rotary Club, and he proved to be an invaluable source of guidance and advice as we waded through government submissions and protocols. Many times I found myself calling: “Gerry! Help!” and he always came; gracious, approachable and generous. A true gentleman. When I told a local that Gerry was helping us, the comment was: “Once Gerry gets hold of something like this, he’s like a terrier with a rat.” And I had burst out laughing.
So here we were, August 2010, faced with drafting a plan for passive recreation. A meeting of interested parties was held onsite and to our delight a local Landscape Gardener offered to draw up concept plans to be presented to Council.
Nine months later we were still waiting, the plans not forthcoming, the park still unkempt.
Gerry approached Veronica Dowman, and at her suggestion letters requesting support were sent to Ross Smith and the Inverloch Rotary and Lions Clubs, and by June 2011 Rotary had sent a letter of support to Ross Smith and Council. Our group then sought a meeting with Council to discuss passive recreation requirements and Ella offered to arrange a meeting on site at a mutually convenient time. We letterboxed an invitation to nearby residents, welcoming ideas or requests.
Of great significance was a conversation I had with Anna, a parent at the school. As a girl she loved playing on a huge fallen tree that had been shaped into a lizard. Brad and Penny Lester also suggested a climbing lizard – “Like the one at Leongatha Primary School,” they said.
Ella, Jenny Churchill, Richard Clarkson, and Bernie Murphy met with us in July, along with neighbours and locals. Together we discussed landscape options – totem poles, steppingstones, a grass mound with a pipe through? The block was wet, drainage was an issue, but how about a winding path that could be ridden by bikes and scooters? Or a wooden platform?
“I’m not sure your suggestions will be suitable,” Ella said, explaining things such as tripping hazards, maintenance issues and consideration of neighbours. “But I can arrange for picnic tables and trees to be installed by Council.”
“And Chabrelle Chisholm from Council’s Community Planning Department is willing to meet with you,” Bernie said.
“A playground is not possible due to size,” Jenny reinforced, “but I’ve researched an interactive play feature that has been used in South Australia.” She handed us a photocopy of a long, concrete dragon seat, along with an aerial photograph of the park. “Once you come up with a plan, Council will give support for you to fundraise. Thank you for your enthusiasm.”
Enthusiasm?
The burden of responsibility had begun to weigh heavy. We were a small group; the dragon seat a huge task to finance. We pressed the issue of a playground, demonstrating that other parks were a similar size and providing a further quote with illustrations of a fully installed basic playground for under $5000. This we felt we could tackle. But for Council to consider a proposal outside the guidelines the group was required to supply full plans including site plans, funding, catchment area, statistics. Site plans had to include all equipment, tables, chairs, pathways and plantings. A business plan had to accompany the site plan. Any contractor needed to be prequalified with Council, and prepare a traffic management plan, job safety analysis, insurances.
We hung our heads, took time to breathe and consider.
Realistically, a Council Park becomes a Council liability – they had every right to impose stipulations. Bass Coast Shire is a beautiful place to live; we needed to work with them.
Norm and I drove to Leongatha Primary School to stand in front of the Blue-tongued Lizard sculpture. I walked its length, stroked the smooth grey concrete, felt the radiant warmth. Every unique detail was enthralling; images of children climbing, balancing, eating, laughing, rose before me. My vision clouded. We would never be able to raise the funds for something as amazing as this.
I called the school, got the name of the sculptor and dialled. “Hi Phil? My name’s Judy and I represent the Wallace Avenue Community Park Group in Inverloch. We’re looking to put a play feature in a park we’ve saved from residential development…”
“Oh, well done!” he said.
“… and we’ve been to see your Blue-tongued Lizard at Leongatha Primary School.”
“Yes, he’s a beauty isn’t he?”
“Do you do parks as well?”
“Parks are my forte!” he said. “I’m not fond of all these plastic playgrounds. I’d rather paint a set of wickets on a paling fence. I like kids to feel a sense of adventure and discovery, somewhere where their imagination is their play space.”
My lips pressed together; he sounded perfect.
Phil was listing his experience and qualifications.
“So how much would you charge to put something like that in our park?” I said.
“Well, it would take my team 2-3 days to build, transporting materials, excavating, their accommodation.”
My hopes sank lower with every word.
$20,000 would cover it,” he said.
“Oh…” I let go a sigh. “Well thank you very much but –”
“We do other creatures as well... snakes, turtles, mushrooms…” His enthusiasm was contagious.
“Well, we do have a dinosaur history…”
“Then how about a pterosaur? I have a design.”
I missed his bubbly enthusiasm as soon as the call ended. My shoulders hung. Somehow I had found myself in the principal role of this project, the contact that connected our group with Council, community groups and other government departments. And I felt far from qualified, emotionally or otherwise. Already I had spent many long hours drafting and sending communications and documents to people and into areas I was completely ignorant of. Yet I still had to go to work, run a business, run a household, care for my children and grandchildren.
I squared my shoulders and called Gerry.
Emailed him pictures of the Blue-tongued Lizard.
“We can’t do this without you, Gerry,” I said, and he just laughed.
“Let’s give it a go,” he said.
In September I emailed Jenny and Chabrelle: ‘Thank you for your ongoing support… we have been in contact with Philip Stray of Crafted Landscapes, who is highly experienced working with schools and kindergartens, public parks and gardens. He is the preferred contractor for the City of Manningham and has completed projects at Wombat Bend, Princess Park at Queenscliff, the central feature at Gallipoli Park, Marysville, and the Roughy Lake Park entrance. He was recently commissioned by Rick McConaghy, parks designer, to complete a dinosaur sculpture in Sydney. Most notably for us is the Blue-tongued Lizard sculpture at Leongatha Primary School. Phil says the design could be easily modified to represent a prehistoric dinosaur/lizard. He has a design for a pterosaur with the bulk under 400mm high, the head no more than 550mm and no finger entrapments. The sculpture is concrete and sits on gravel. He has quoted $20,000 which includes excavation of the site and gravel. Could you please reply as soon as possible giving Council’s approval for the project so the group can begin fundraising?’
Ella replied, visited the park, discussed our plot plan with Jenny and Richard Clarkson, then by 30 November, after more input from Veronica Dowman, we received in principal support to begin fundraising.
What did that mean for us?
Register as a charity.
The application form was accessible online; I began filling it out. ‘Details of Organisation and 5-person Committee.’ Yes, that was easy. ‘Letters of Consent from Beneficiaries.’ Yes, Barb signed one and Ella supplied one from Council, along with an offer of more support if needed. ‘Tax File Number and Australian Business Number.’ Okay, application done. Then came the request for our constitution.
Our constitution?
“Gerry!” I screamed into the phone.
“Put the kettle on,” he said. “I’ll be right over.”
And by 19 December 2011, we had gained Tax Concession Charity endorsement from the ATO, Registration as a Fundraiser with the Department of Justice, Consumer Affairs Victoria, and subsequent Tax Concession Charity status with the Australian Charites and Not-for-Profits Commission.
Gerry, Barb and I found ourselves in the office of the Inverloch Community Bank opening an account for the Wallace Avenue Community Park. Forms completed, Jacqui looked up from her computer. “All we need now is a deposit.” Gerry and I exchanged alarmed glances; we hadn’t brought any cash. But Barb was rummaging in the bottom of her bag. “I have a dollar,” she said, and we left the bank elated. We now had one dollar toward the development of the park.
I shared the news with my 94-year-old neighbour. She opened her purse and gave me $50.
We sent letters to Ross Smith, the Community Bank, service clubs, the Victorian Desalination Plant and Unions on site asking for any assistance that could be offered.
Rotary Market, January 7th, 2012: our first sausage sizzle. We’d researched health regulations and spoken with the BCSC Health Inspector. We’d sought advice and purchased sausages, onions, sauce, serviettes, drinks, ice, utensils, gloves. We’d approached Paul the Pieman bakery who supplied free bread. We’d sliced the onions the night before, bagged them and put them in the refrigerator.
Big mistake.
By morning the whole house smelled like onion.
I opened the refrigerator door and reeled back, dabbing at my eyes.
We lugged the supplies out to the car.
Rotary set up their rotunda and barbeque for us, then we were on our own: Norm, Barb, myself and our two kids. “Put the onions on first,” we’d been told. “The smell draws the crowds.” And they came, in trickles at first, then a rush with Norm cooking, me handling money, the kids building the sausages and bread, and Barb informing the public of our park, our project. We’d made up an information board with a picture of Phil’s Blue-tongued Lizard, and a collection tin with his pterosaur design. Coins began to drop into our tin.
At the height of the rush a bag tie ended up in someone’s onion and they came back complaining. I was mortified. But apart from that everyone was generous, interested and friendly, and after selling sausages for six hours, we packed up and hobbled home, covered in grease. I have never looked at a sausage sizzle the same since. We counted our takings. $584 profit. It was a start.
I sent a letter of thanks to Rotary: ‘I have now experienced your commitment on a personal level and have gained a deep respect and appreciation for your Club, and indeed all volunteer groups.’
We did more sausage sizzles with Rotary donating the sausages. One made only $5.10 profit after seven hours work! But the Lions and Rotary Clubs gave generous donations as did Gerry and ourselves. Cr Ross Smith donated $500 from his Councillor Ward Discretionary Fund. We sent thank you letters to them all. We designed collection tins displaying Phil’s pterosaur design and approached various businesses in Inverloch to house them. Foodworks Inverloch put us on their community rewards program.
Under Ella’s instruction, after consultation with our group, the tables and bench seat were installed. But the park needed to be fenced on the Northern boundary and we were reluctant to spend our precious dinosaur dollars. Then Anthony Hawken, Mitre 10 Inverloch, donated several hundred dollars’ worth of timber, and Clay Wyhoon of Garden Effects Landscaping offered his services, spending two days volunteer labour to erect a fence financed from park funds and a generous donation from a neighbour.
On April 2nd, Ella arranged for Phil to visit the park and do an arm wave quote, the local papers covering the story. His enthusiasm and energy were so vibrant the vision for the sculpture became a reality. We began researching grants.
We applied for a Bass Coast Community Grant with no success. We applied for a Bass Coast Community Foundation Grant with no success. We contacted Johan Scheffer MP, Upper House Eastern Region, who suggested the Healthy Parks, Healthy People Grant. ‘The work you and the Wallace Avenue Group have undertaken is clearly very impressive and I’m sure you’ll reach your goal,’ he wrote. However the grant wasn’t suitable for us.
But we also contacted Russell Broadbent MP and subsequently Ken Smith’s office who researched a grant for us. I rang the Department of Community Planning and Development, spoke to Steve Davies, then emailed Ella and Chabrelle. ‘On the advice of Russell Broadbent and Ken Smith’s office we have been in touch with the DCPD to explore the Regional Growth Fund’s Putting Locals First Program. I have spoken with a representative who has informed us we are eligible for a grant provided we get an auspice. The grant is in the form of a 3:1 funding, with an in-kind element. Can you please let us know if Council will be willing to act as the auspicing body? Once that is arranged we are to contact Steve Davies.’
A tense few months ensued, with many discussions, then on 15 August Steve Piasente, BCSC Community Economic Development Director, sent us an Expression of Interest for Council to Manage and Support a Grant Application. ‘We look forward to the continued partnership between your Group and Council in the development of the Wallace Avenue Park,’ he said in closing, and my spirits soared.
The application was a lengthy, detailed document requiring concise plans and evidence. We completed a rough draft, met with Ella and corresponded with Phil. We contacted community groups and service clubs for letters of support. But even after all our hard work, the funds we’d raised so far fell well short of our goal; it seemed we needed stronger and more persuasive rationale to attract prospective donors.
By September I knew what had to be done.
After printing a pile of questionnaires with illustrations of Phil’s pterosaur, I approached my small son. “Will you come with mummy to knock on some doors?” Residents would be less confronted if I had a child with me.
The going was tough, long hours walking and knocking, explaining, asking, presenting forms. However one house still stands vivid in my memory; an elderly couple in a grey brick cottage on Kenneth Street. The gentleman opened the door wide and invited us inside. His wife was drinking tea in her pink dressing gown, and when she looked up from the newspaper and smiled, I felt my whole body relax. With kind attentive eyes they listened, asked questions, commended our efforts and signed our survey, and we left so uplifted that we gained the fortitude to keep going. And by the time we’d walked and knocked over several weekends, covering all the nearby streets, 68 Forms were signed with names and addresses, totalling 761 Children, 327 Adults, and 38 Disabled/Elderly who wanted to use the park.
It was on one of those Saturday mornings that we approached a man with an impressive moustache, loading gardening equipment into a trailer. “Um, excuse me,” I ventured, ‘I’m from the Wallace Avenue Community Park Group, and we’re trying to get the park developed.”
He glanced at the pterosaur and his eyebrows raised. “I have to keep going with this,” he said, “but… Amanda, can you come look at this?”
Amanda, shielding her eyes, squinted at our form. “So sorry,” she said, “we were up rather late last night.” She took the clipboard from my hands and held it at arm’s length, blinking, asking questions. “What you’re doing is incredible,” she said. “I didn’t even know there was a park there.” And two days later she called me. “Hi Judy, this is Amanda. I have $5000 for you from RACV Inverloch Resort.”
I dropped the phone and wept.
Council elections had since taken place and our new councillor, Jordan Crugnale, took an immediate and vital interest in our project. She attended meetings, reviewed plans, came to our home and drank coffee, and sat up late at night poring over our application. She communicated with Phil, made a personal donation to our fund, was active in Council on our behalf, inquired and followed up with departments, and sent us many reassuring and encouraging emails. She even arranged for Justine Clarke to visit the park to raise public awareness. The day turned out to be steady rain and the meeting was moved, but the publicity was still a success, the local papers covering the story.
On 13 November yet another meeting with Council was held to discuss the final budget, landscaping plan and possible path for disabled access to the front table, with the South Gippsland Conservation Society contributing preliminary drawings for native vegetation. But Phil was at loggerheads with Council; he was happy to supply soft fall and groundwork, but two sections of his pterosaur were over Council’s regulation height of 500mm and he wasn’t prepared to compromise the design, was even willing to pay for a safety report from a qualified Playground Auditor.
Enter Louise Wilson, South Gippsland Conservation Society. “I’ve spoken to Mike Cleeland, Palaeontologist and Educator at Bunurong Environment Centre,” she emailed Jordan. “He is very excited about going with a local dinosaur, so I’ve done some research and I think I’ve come up with something.”
Koolasuchus cleelandi.
Local.
Flat.
Perfect.
And Phil loved the idea.
27th March 2013, 2.00pm – our Expression of Interest for Council to Support and Manage a Grant Application was submitted at Council offices, containing: evidence of funds raised $10,649.40, copies of the original documents pertaining to the acquisition of Wallace Avenue Park, detailed plans and specifications for development of the sculpture from Phillip Stray, detailed plans and specifications for drainage from Clay Wyhoon, ‘mud’ plan for landscaping submitted by Louise Wilson, support letters (1) Ken Smith (2) Rotary Club of Inverloch (3) Lions Club of Inverloch (4) South Gippsland Conservation Society (5) Inverloch Preschool (6) Inverloch Primary School (7) Lions and Rotary joint letter 2010, the results and copies of the survey forms, copies of local newspaper articles and the requested backup stick in editable format.
I would like to say that from then on it was easy and straightforward, but it wasn’t.
Our grant application did not quite meet the criteria, but Laurie Paton, Senior Project Officer at RDV, went into battle for us, engaging in meetings and earnest discussions with Council and the Department. I remember Laurie saying to me that the turning point for him was when he visited the park, and walked out into the middle and thought, ‘Hey this is really nice.’ And I must say that he is the only person in a government department who has ever called me ‘mate’. So Laurie, on behalf of the Inverloch Community, thanks mate. This park is your legacy too.
Ella also worked hard for us, as she had from the beginning, revising, fine tuning and negotiating. Council staff came and went, and it wasn’t until January 2014 that our grant application was finally submitted by Howard Scott.
Thus began a nervous wait.
In April we sent a letter to Peter Ryan MP and received his reply: ‘… when your application does come before me, I will certainly give it my very careful consideration.’ Then by Thursday 5th June, I am walking around the park in my black dress and heels. I can hardly stop smiling. Ken Smith is at my elbow and leans in to share a confidence and I laugh. Jordan is there, and Laurie Paton, members of Rotary and Lions, Gerry, Barb, Trina, Norm, and locals with kids.
“I’m here to announce the successful outcome of the Wallace Avenue Community Park Putting Locals First Grant,” Ken says. “The State Government will spend $35,540 on the development of this park, including a sculpture of Koolasuchus cleelandi.” A cheer goes up, with clapping and congratulations. We eat morning tea, drink champagne, a reporter gathers us together, climbs onto a table and the camera clicks.
Thank you letters were sent to everyone involved.
The final meeting for the project was to be held on site with Council employees, Jordan, Gerry, Clay and Phil. But a gusty wind kept tugging at our paperwork and running off with our words. “We could go inside,” I ventured, even though I was embarrassed; our kitchen was old and tattered, the benches chipped, the cupboard doors hanging crooked. I looked at everyone seated around our table. What could I feed these special, important people besides biscuits and coffee? I warmed up a tray of sausage rolls, my grandmother’s recipe, and by the time the meeting concluded there were only crumbs left.
In March 2015, Clay arrived with his excavator and team, digging in drainage pipes, connecting them to storm water, and leveling the site for the sculpture. Phil was to follow in a couple of days and I was overwhelmed with appreciation; he had persisted with us for four years while we struggled to get the project finalised. I sent him a text message.
“Hi Phil, thank you so very much for all your support. I can hardly wait to see your sculpture in our park.”
And the reply came back: “I hope it turns out as good as your sausage rolls.”
In April his team rumbled up the court and began their work. Over a hundred metal droppers pegged carefully shaped plyboard and hessian packed out with mortar, then steel was placed inside the mould. The next day the cement mixer poured the beast with Phil’s team vibrating the concrete into the mould and adding detail under the direction of Lesley Kool. Mike Cleeland arrived with a wooden homemade template for the footprints in the path. Mud rock surrounds were thoughtfully positioned, and a cluster of eggs formed. Then on day three the mould was carefully removed to reveal a beautiful Koolasuchus cleelandi. Phil had used a long strip of rubber to shape the teeth, and when he peeled it back to bare her grin, I caught the glint in her eye.
The official opening was on 19 November 2015, organised by Council. Jodi Kennedy acted as host, Mayor Jordan Crugnale opened the park development then invited me to speak.
Nervous, but so very grateful to everyone involved, I stood in the row of dignitaries.
“The history of the Wallace Avenue Park began in the early 1960’s when Annie Jacobson donated 1½ acres on William Street to the Shire of Woorayl as the open land contribution of a subdivision,” I said. “This land became Apex Park. We have with us today some members of the former Inverloch Apex Club, and I’d like to welcome them – Doug Muir, Frank McGarvey, Gordon Beard, Tom Taylor, Frank Bain, Mary Butcher on behalf of Cole Butcher, Kevin Bradley. Thank you for your contribution to the community and for being a part of the history of this park.”
Then I welcomed and thanked everyone else in turn, including Laurie Paton, Phil, Clay, Amanda, Lesley Kool, Mike Cleeland, representatives from the Community Bank, R.A.C.V. Inverloch Resort, Rotary and Lions, the members of our group and the team from Bass Coast Shire Council.
“Working on this campaign has been an incredibly humbling experience because of the spirit and generosity of all involved,” I said. “This Park has brought the community together and we have made many friends. Every time you buy a sausage or put some coins in a tin, or put up your hand to do something, you are helping someone, and this park truly is one that stands in honour of volunteers everywhere.”
A round of applause and Mike wraps his lanky arm around me in an impulsive hug. Koolasuchus keeps grinning. Terry Hall gains the group’s attention and climbs onto a rock. “There’s something that has been left out,” he said. “We need to thank Judy.” And I drop my head. None of this was done with any thought of glory or thanks. I am a volunteer.
Months pass, the park being discovered and enjoyed. Then one day I hear a convoy of cars followed by animated voices and the clink of hammers on rocks. “Hi Mike,” I say, venturing toward his group. Mike turns with a wide smile and raises his voice. “Everyone, I’d like to introduce Judy.” They all look up. “Judy worked with Council to raise the funds to get this park developed.”
There is a gasp and a ripple of claps, and I don’t know what to do. I give a little wave, and a smile. The group disperses, a child in safety goggles runs to me cradling a fossil in two hands. “Oh wow!” I exclaim, examining it closely as another child appears. “Can I take a photo?”
Six years on and the park is thriving with over a thousand visitors per year. It was featured in the Museum of Victoria, Monash University Dinosaur Dreaming Dig 2015 Annual Field Report. Locals and neighbourhood children have developed a sense of ownership and pride in the park. They picnic, host parties, play ball, run their dogs, play chess or snakes and ladders, lounge in the sun, sip coffee, talk and form bonds. Native trees grow tall and strong. A Facebook and Instagram page have been opened. An information board showcases Koolasuchus cleelandi; children go home and research local dinosaurs. And during school holidays and long weekends, in all kinds of weather, Mike brings tourist and school groups who break up rocks brought in from Wonthaggi Coal Mine or Koonwarra. Many fine fossil specimens have been uncovered, including some that have been sent to Melbourne Museum for identification.
Our group remains active; recently we were successful in gaining a shelter through the generosity and help of Inverloch Lions and Rotary, Greg Polson, BCSC, plus Jordan Crugnale MP, steering us toward a State Government Shade Grant.
And our next project? Dinosaur bike racks…
Our lives go on and things settle into a new routine. Then one day Dot McGarvey walks into my workplace with a scrapbook in her hands. “You can have it for as long as you like,” she smiles.
I wait for a quiet moment, then gently turn the first page. And there stands a photograph of Doug Muir and Frank McGarvey at the newly erected stone gates of Inverloch Apex Park. Apex took over the park in 1969, I read, and maintained it for 18 years. Apart from general maintenance, works included a track, drainage, trees, an electric barbeque, climbing bar, slide, picnic table and seats. They then suggested the Shire of Woorayl use it as a site for aged accommodation. The Chairman of the Woorayl Lodge Inverloch Committee, Terry Hall, was described as ‘an irresistible force’ and ‘the ‘prime mover’. Along with Woorayl Lodge manager, Ted Rundle, and organised by Peter McGauran, Local Federal Member, he even took a deputation to Canberra to the Minister for Community Services to secure elderly accommodation, and also held personal discussions with the Victorian State Minister for Housing in Melbourne.
I turn the pages.
In 1985 a Red Cross bus was running to help the elderly and Terry was quoted: ‘I am constantly amazed at the resourcefulness of the community to raise funds for a worthwhile project.’
The Great Southern Star, Tuesday October 14th, 1986, reported on a long running dispute at Inverloch involving the plan to build elderly persons accommodation on Apex Park – Terry Hall and his supporters against the South Gippsland Conservation Society, who sought the support of Jim Kennan. An independent tribunal of the Town and Country Planning Board commissioned by the State Government had recommended Apex Park be rezoned from recreational to special purposes to allow the elderly units.
But by 5 May1987 the group was still waiting for rezoning. They had been 5 years so far on the project. The Ministry of Housing guaranteed funding for 12 of the proposed 25 units, with the committee having to look at ways of raising the extra finance required.
Another page, and I find myself staring at a photograph of Jim Kennan standing on Apex Park, a large crowd of people around him. It cost rate payers $115,000 to buy town blocks to replace Apex Park.
More pages.
March 1988: plans for the $1.6 million elderly units unveiled at Woorayl Council meeting. 30 units. Coldon Homes awarded the contract. And in August 1988 Terry Hall, newly elected Woorayl Shire President, gives his acceptance speech: ‘Councils are in the people business. I am determined that my door will be open to the people, the Councillors, the shire officers and the public.’
I read on.
The Inverloch Apex Club provided guernseys to the Inverloch-Kongwak thirds, removed a steam roller from the kindergarten and replaced it with a boat, catered at the Leongatha Motor-Cycle Club’s Annual Hill Climb and the Apex Club’s Annual Bowls Day, cleared a block for Anglican members, mowed lawns, lopped trees, sponsored a secondary school student to The Philippines.
The Milpara Ladies Club raised over $1000 towards the furnishing of the community lounge.
Volunteers.
In October 1989 the first residents of Inverloch Lodge were given keys. The official opening by Mr Alan Thompson, Acting Director of Housing and Construction, was on Thursday 29 March, 1990, and I found myself staring at the same photograph the elderly lady at the units had put into my hand all those years ago.
During our campaign the Inverloch Rotary Club invited me to attend a meeting and speak about the park. Nervous to the socks, I found myself shaking, but everyone was so kind, attentive, and vitally interested that I soon relaxed. These amazing people were just ordinary people – ordinary people, doing extraordinary things. And sometimes it only takes a few kind words to make a vital difference, like the elderly couple in the grey brick house on Kenneth Street.
A group of people sit on the shore at The Caves, breaking up rocks to uncover dinosaur history. Volunteers.
The rain pours down, kids squeal. Some run for the veranda, some raise their hands and dance. The remaining coach rallies his team, they line up and continue the exercise, laughing, water running down their faces. The sausages come out hot and plentiful. Auskick, 2021. Volunteers.
August 2008, I stand on a road in a dark night, alone in the midst of manic activity, flashing emergency lights and a thumping air ambulance, watching my older son being cut out of a mangled car wreck. Who comes to stand by me and give comfort? A volunteer.
The sky is an eerie pink, a hot north wind blows smoke across a red sun. A man answers his phone, gathers his gear, and hugs his wife goodbye, not knowing how many days he will be gone. Firefighter. Volunteer.
A semitrailer pulls up at the gate of a flooded farm at Port Macquarie, loaded with Gippsland hay donated to feed starving cattle, and the farmer fights back tears. Who is driving? Volunteers.
And around on Williams Street a widower lives in comfort and shares a community garden in a complex where the old stone gates of Apex Park still stand, unaware that 40 years ago a committee of councillors and volunteers fought hard to build the unit he now lives in situated on land once managed by a volunteer group.
This community needs to be proud.
And when other groups ask how we did it, my answer is simple: be organised, be persistent, be respectful.
I was invited by Council to attend a meeting to give feedback on our experience as a group dealing with Council to get the park developed. But even though I had spent weeks researching and placing events carefully in chronological order over an 8-page document, I failed to establish the important issues. And do you know why? Because I got stuck in the details of the moment instead of standing back and looking at the big picture. Like a passionate group of conservationists, and an environment minister.
So now when I’m in my kitchen and I hear the rattle of scooters and children’s voices: “Mummy, mummy look! It’s a dinosaur!” And big sister replies, “No it’s not! It’s a prehistoric amphibian!”, I think of the South Gippsland Conservation Society, and Jim Kennan, and their big picture decisions that brought this park into being and the huge impact it has had generations after.
But I must admit, sometimes when I catch Koolasuchus grinning at me, I stop and pause, and my eyes narrow. Could it be that she had this whole thing planned a very, very long time ago?
In honour of and thanks to:
Gerry Lonergan
Terry Hall
Inverloch Apex Club
Inverloch Rotary Club
Inverloch Lions Club
South Gippsland Conservation Society
Hon Jim Kennan
Hon Jordan Crugnale
Hon Ken Smith
Hon Peter Ryan
Hon Johan Scheffer
Hon Russell Broadbent
Steve Davies RDV
Laurie Paton RDV
Inverloch Historical Society
Caillin Flint: RACV Inverloch Resort
Inverloch Community Bank
Mitre10: Anthony Hawken
Foodworks Inverloch
South Gippsland Chiropractic Services
Clay Wyhoon
Philip Stray and his team, Dan and Angus
Norm Vradenburg
Barb Langston
Trina Phillips
David Dockery
Carli Johnstone
Amanda Tonkin
Doug and Veronica Muir
Frank and Dot McGarvey
Dennis Ginn
Ron Stanley
Dom Brusamarello
Great Southern Star Newspaper
South Gippsland Sentinel Times.
Doug Pell: Lifestyle Gippsland Magazine
Paul the Pieman Bakery
Louise Wilson
Dave Sutton
Lesley Kool
Mike Cleeland
Linda and Ken Aly
Wendy Caple: Inverloch Primary School
Belinda Elliott: Inverloch Preschool
Dorothy Milligan
Michelle Harris
Justine Clarke
Bass Coast Shire Council – particularly Ella Angarane, Steve Piasente, Derek Peters, Hans Kamphius, Mark Hill, Richard Clarkson, Howard Scott, Bernie Murphy, Chabrelle Chisholm, Jenny Churchill, Shirley Egan, Greg Polson, Ross Smith, David Wall, Veronica Dowman, the Councillors on the Committee, and the maintenance team for ongoing maintenance.
Thank you to the local community for supporting our fundraisers, surveys, and meetings.
Collection tins – Red Elk, Scotts Menswear: Fiona Hughes, Pizza Palace: Tony Ciccia, Beaches and Cream: Steve, Community Bank: Jacqui Laurie, Southern Bazaar: Wendy de Kunda, A’Beckett St Veterinary Clinic: Hugh Thomas, Tomo Modern Japanese Restaurant, and our sausage sizzle tin. Total raised $426.80
[*1] Source: Lesley Kool.
[*2] Planning Permit Application 97/684
[*3] Beach Avenue now Evergreen Avenue
It was a radiant summer’s day, late February 2010, when I stepped out my front gate into Wallace Avenue. Across the court my neighbour Barb was topping driveway weeds with a shovel.
“They’re at it again, Judy,” she raged, looking up.
“Pardon?” I said, ambling over.
“They’re trying to sell the park!” She banged her shovel against the fence. “It’s in the Sentinel… just a minute...” She stomped inside her house and reappeared with a newspaper cutting, shoving it in my face. “So small I almost missed it,” she said as I peered at the tiny square of paper. One paragraph, two sentences. Cr. Ross Smith announcing the vacant lot on Wallace Avenue, Inverloch, was to be rezoned and sold for residential development. Market value: $270,000.
“What?” My hands came to my face as I gazed across our precious neighbourhood park. Designated in 1987 as public open space, it had remained in a state of neglect ever since, but we all loved it. A special ambience hovered over this land, a calming bright energy. But more than that, it was our own space to breathe. The neighbourhood kids had grown up together in that park; when the grass was short enough they’d kick the football, fly kites, or someone’s Dad would mow a cricket pitch in the centre. When the grass was too long they’d lie flat on their stomachs and play hide and seek. And during the waterlogged winter months, they’d stomp around in gumboots and come home with muddy smiles.
It was their space.
And it wasn’t the first time Council had proposed to sell it.
In December 1997, letters informed the residents of a planning permit [*2] which had been lodged by Bass Coast Shire Council for a proposed dwelling, outbuildings and works at 16 Wallace Avenue. The letter stated a copy of the plans could be inspected at Council Offices. Objection letters were sent in – ‘this block was given in exchange for Apex Park, it’s a community asset, the application should only be considered by an independent body such as appointed by the Minister of Planning or his department, not by Council who is the proponent as well as the responsible authority, no actual plans were available for viewing…’. Council relented, the park was retained. Then in February 2009 BCSC informed the residents of an investigation and consultation process underway with a view to the possible disposal of the property, and again the residents objected.
Now here we were facing the same challenge.
“It’s a case of pre-emption,” Barb was saying, and my eyebrows shot up at her knowledge and passion. “It would be an insult to volunteers to sell this park for Council’s monetary gain. It would be an insult to all the people who worked hard, very hard, for the community back in 1986-87, between Apex and a group of local residents who spent many volunteer hours of service to provide such a valuable amenity for the aged – Frank and Dot McGarvey, Doug and Veronica Muir, Len and Jan Williams… Terry Hall… the Shire of Woorayl… the Ministry of Housing.”
Frowning hard, I tried to take it all in. I knew virtually nothing of local politics, much less of Council. I put my bins out every week and paid my rates, but that was about it. And I loathed conflict of any kind, especially confronting authority. Yet here was my quiet, unassuming neighbour with so much passion and knowledge! Reeling off names and events I’d never heard about.
“In the past twenty years the locals have petitioned three times for play equipment here,” Barb was saying. Her hands flew up in exasperation. “Rainbow Park is useless for locals during tourist season.”
And I had to agree.
Once home, I turned on my computer. The minutes of the BCSC Ordinary Meeting, 17th February 2010, were easily accessed.
‘The reserve is surplus to Council’s requirements largely because of its small size and inconvenient location… it was acquired by the former shire of Woorayl on 8 December 1987, 2 ½ years after its registration on the Plan of Subdivision… While it was zoned appropriately for a Recreation Reserve (PPRZ – Public Park Recreation) neither the former shire or the current council have ever developed it in any way, for over twenty years it has been an area of roughly mown grass and if used at all, only for overflow parking for neighbouring properties.’
“That’s not true!” I said out loud.
‘The local residents in favour of its retention consistently argue that it should be developed as a playground but the Council’s Open Space Plan sets a minimum 10,000 square meters for a local level social family recreation park… a playground would cost $60,000 with a current lifespan of 5 years… Council’s budget for playgrounds was already fully committed… only 70-80 households could be expected to utilise the park and many of those households don’t have children… [it] fulfils no service delivery function for the wider community… the local resident who advised that the Recreation Reserve was acquired by the former Shire of Woorayl in order to partly offset another area of land lost to Public Open Space may well be correct, unfortunately the records available to the current Council cast no light on this matter and the fact that the former shire didn’t develop it before Council amalgamation suggests it wasn’t a wise acquisition and there is no realistic prospect that it ever will be developed.’
“Why not!” my thoughts screamed. “Why shouldn’t it be developed!”
Face set hard, heart thumping, I forced myself to read the minutes again. Carefully.
‘According to local Government Act 1989… submissions will be considered before a final and binding decision is made. The owners of properties in Wallace Avenue and Phillip Street are to be sent a copy of the text of a public notice that will be published in the South Gippsland Sentinel Times. A Committee of Council has been appointed to hear submissions.’
I closed my eyes and expelled a deep breath; anger was a useless waste of energy and emotion.
We were going to have to get organised.
By 18 March, Barb had presented a letter to BCSC on behalf of the residents, requesting play equipment and stating we were using the park as much as possible given its unkempt state. Enclosed was a photograph of the many neighbourhood children along with a petition signed by 38 local residents. A reply from Council thanked her for her contribution and stated her letter would be considered as part of the submissions. Then on Tuesday March 30, the official notice appeared in the South Gippsland Sentinel Times – we had until 29 April to present our written submissions.
Ken Smith MP received us personally into his office in Wonthaggi – Barb, my husband Norm, and myself. “Get onto the media,” he said, “the Star and Sentinel Times. And keep the pressure on – articles, photos, letters to the editor; generate a huge public interest. Push Ross Smith – he represents you as rate payers and should be on your side. Do your homework and have a plan of all Inverloch parks to present to the Committee. A group of you should also attend the deciding Council meeting to keep the pressure on Ross Smith who will be representing you.”
We contacted the papers and talked to locals. I researched public parks in Inverloch and dragged my children around to each one, photographing their size. Notices were letterboxed to surrounding streets, inviting neighbours to attend a meeting at our place. Among the attendees were Trina Phillips and Dave Dockery, both of Wallace Avenue, and along with Barb we got to work, labelling ourselves the Wallace Avenue Neighbourhood Community and carefully addressing each of Council’s reasons to sell. We gained the written support of Inverloch Rotary and Inverloch Lions Clubs. We researched playground equipment and obtained a quote for $25,000 from Ken Aly, President of Inverloch Lions Club. We sent a letter to Thiess Degremont asking if they would consider supporting our project. LifeStyle Gippsland Magazine published an article for us. We gained the interest and support of Inverloch Community Planning Group who were facilitating a forum on the Future Recreational Needs of Inverloch. We designed a flyer inviting the community to a rally onsite and delivered it to neighbouring streets, and I stood shy but determined at the entrance to the Kindergarten and School handing them to parents. We researched Bass Coast Shire’s Open Space Plan, noting all the clauses that supported the retention of our park.
Then Trina said: “Maybe we should do a survey.”
My eyes flicked from side to side. It was a great idea, but walking into people’s yards? Invading their privacy? Interrupting their lives? “I’ll go if you go,” I said.
Within a two-street distance of Wallace Avenue, we counted houses and conducted a survey/petition. “Your turn to knock,” we’d say to each other, hesitating outside a gateway. But we were surprised at the result: most people we spoke to didn’t know the park existed, and only one of the 59 occupied houses refused to sign – a grumpy elderly man who raged that children had no place in Inverloch, that it should be a retirement town only.
Once home, we tallied our sheets – the survey documented over 250 houses within easy walking distance of the park, and more than 200 children who lived at or regularly visited those households and who would use the park it if it were properly maintained or developed for its intended use. Most notably was Bill Phillips: “I’ve lived here for thirty years,” he said, “and in all that time people have said – ‘Wallace Avenue? That’s the street where the kids play on the road.’”
One afternoon I took a friend into the park. Our feet shuffled through the fragrant grass and a luminous joy closed my eyes and had me breathe deep. Bees hovered over dandelion flowers and boisterous Wattle Birds wove through a pear tree. “Isn’t it beautiful out here?” I said. My eyes shone as I told her the history and spoke of our vision to have it saved and developed. Silent she listened, looking over the land, shielding her eyes. Then her direct gaze came back to my face. “If you’re fighting the Council you’ll never win,” she said.
My eyes dropped and I turned away, my mouth a line. I had heard this same sentiment expressed a lot in previous weeks and it made me angry. It was like putting a death sentence on our dreams and efforts, but more than that it was a presumption that we were in a fight with Council. But it wasn’t a fight. All correspondence from Council had been polite and reasonable, closing with invitations to reply, to submit, to contact; that didn’t seem like a fight to me. It was an opportunity.
And so we continued to build our case, but there still remained the vexing issue of documents pertaining to the acquisition of the park to offset loss of Apex Park.
“Who owned this land before?” I said to Barb.
“Denis Ginn,” came the instant reply, so I rang him up.
“Oh yes!” His voice was warm, enthusiastic. “That used to be the house paddock next to the old homestead. That’s why the fruit trees are there. There was a water trough in the wet spot in the middle.”
I remembered the gentle old cottage crouched under trees, reeking of history… and the day the excavator gouged it to the ground.
“The Shire of Woorayl bought the property from me in 1987,” Denis was saying, ‘to offset the loss of Apex Park for the elderly units.”
“Do you have any documents?”
“No… but you could try Ron Stanley – he was the Shire Secretary. I have his number. Or any of the members of Apex – Frank McGarvey… Doug Muir...”
Ron showed an immediate interest with anecdotes and accurate information. Yes, Wallace Avenue was one of the parks set aside to offset the loss of Apex Park – Jim Kennan visited the site. The other parks were Katrina Street, Marion Court, Beach Avenue [*3], Florida Avenue.
“Do you have any documents?” I said, but the answer was still no, and the deadline for written submissions was approaching.
“You could request an extension,” Dom Brusamarello of Inverloch Community Planning Group said. “I’ll help you draft a letter.”
So, with his help, a letter was sent to Council respectfully requesting a 21-day extension and a copy of any documents held in Council’s possession relating to the transfer of said land. Council’s reply granted an extension of 10 days, along with an invitation to present any further submissions personally to the Committee. The only document they had was a slim file containing the deed of sale, which the group was welcome to view.
Days slipped by, resources exhausted.
We sent our written submissions, heavy of heart.
Then one day Trina called: “Hey Judy, I’ve contacted Jim Kennan.”
My mouth dropped open. “And he replied?”
“Yes!”
She forwarded the emails: ‘21 May 2010. Dear Mr. Kennan, I write to you regarding a State Government ruling you passed in 1987 that detailed that in order for the rezoning and development of Apex reserve to go ahead, other neighbourhood parkland in the area must be purchased by the Shire in order to offset the loss of Apex parkland. One of the smaller parklands purchased was 16 Wallace Avenue Inverloch. Ron Stanley, former Woorayl Shire Secretary, remembers you visiting this site. In 1994 there was a shire amalgamation in this area, which resulted in Inverloch becoming part of Bass Coast Shire. Currently Bass Coast Shire is proposing to rezone this parkland as residential and sell it… [they] apparently have no evidence and little knowledge of the ruling you made regarding Apex Park in 1987. I have contacted several government agencies including the Department of Planning and Community Development, Crown Land and Public Land Management, Victorian Parliamentary Library and Public Records Office, but unfortunately I have not been able to find any details of this ruling. I am hoping that you may have some information on where I can find and obtain a copy of this ruling. Any other relevant information regarding this matter would also be very helpful and much appreciated. Thank you for your time.’
And there below was his reply: ‘Dear Trina, I remember this issue quite well, and my visit there. Unfortunately I do not have any papers relating to it. However the Department of Planning would have had the papers and they must be accessible, even if archived. I suggest you press the issue with them.’
Trina pressed the issue.
So did Gerry Lonergan, Labour Party Candidate and member of Inverloch Rotary Club. But to no avail.
On Sunday 23 May over 60 residents turned up at Wallace Avenue Park in a huge show of support, the rally being published in the local papers. Meanwhile I began shadowing the aged facility now on Apex Park, and a local directed me to an elderly lady residing in one of the units.
I found her bent over her garden. “Um, excuse me,” I said. “Do you know any history on the development of this complex?”
Her face lit with a smile and she hurried to open the gate. Inside, I gazed about at the compact, comfortable unit while she rummaged in a dresser drawer. “It was Terry Hall who did it,” she said, still beaming as she handed me a yellowed newspaper clipping. “That’s him there.” She pointed to a gentleman standing before a crowd of elated people at the opening to the complex. I peered hard; I’d seen him around, had a few fleeting contacts with him.
It was time for school pickup and on my way home I called in to buy milk, my thoughts on the lady and the photograph. As I drove back up past the post office, a gentleman crossed the road and my eyes popped as my head swung sideways. I screeched into a U-turn and scrambled from the car.
“Excuse me? Terry?” And he stopped.
“Yes, the park on Wallace Avenue was one of several given in exchange for Apex Park,” he said. “A dispute developed about the loss of the park. And a rare onion weed was growing there. It went to state level and Jim Kennan ruled that public open space must be preserved.”
My body stilled. “Do you have any documents?”
“Yes.”
Breath deserted me.
“I gave copies of the minutes of the Shire of Woorayl meetings to the Inverloch Historical Society,” he said. His eyes smiled. “I’ll be happy to get them for you.”
Mere days before the Committee meeting, I found myself graciously ushered into Terry’s home. “This is my wife Lois,” he said, pausing while we exchanged smiles before leading me into his office. In awe I watched him slide open the drawer to one of many filing cabinets and flick through a few files before lifting out newspaper cuttings, all relating to the elderly units. “Wow,” I said, looking at history in my hands, all the stories and anecdotes I’d heard but not seen. He was walking to his desk. “Here are the minutes you’ll need,” he said, handing me a stack of foolscap buff pages covered with typeset printing.
I felt as if I was handling gold.
“You can photocopy them if you like,” he said. “Then bring them back and I’ll return them to the Historical Society.”
Once home I sent an email to Jim Kennan: ‘Thank you for your reply which generated great encouragement and appreciation among our members… we have been most fortunate to have obtained a copy of the original Shire of Woorayl Council minutes… They contain within them a reproduction of a letter you sent regarding the Shire of Woorayl Planning Scheme Amendment No75 Part A…’
And his reply: ‘Thank you for the update, I do remember visiting the park, and I wish you well in your endeavours. The encroachment on public open space is a continual pressure which requires community groups like yours to oppose. Best wishes. Jim Kennan.’
It was to be only a couple of months later that he died.
7th June came, the day of the Committee hearing at the Council offices. We were to wait in the reception area off McBride Avenue and be escorted to the meeting room. I found myself trembling; there was so much at stake here. I wore a business suit and new shoes to bolster my courage.
Present were Cr Ross Smith, Cr John Duscher, Cr Gareth Barlow and Cr Veronica Dowman, Ella Angarane (Recreation and Leisure Planner), and David Wall, (Facilities Officer).
Our group was invited to speak first. We were organised; we all had our points to deliver. We gave a report of our survey, stating that the park was the only park in the area and was safe. With increasing high-density housing and influx of tourists these neighbourhood parks are more important than ever, we said. We presented a map of parks in Inverloch, with photographs of each comparing their size to Wallace Avenue Park. We presented Ken Aly’s quote for play equipment, adding that Clay Wyhoon, Landscape Builder, had volunteered to help with construction and maintenance. We proposed that the site was largely unused only because it was undeveloped, unkempt and unknown. We suggested that Bass Coast Shire had been reaping revenue from the elderly units now on Apex Park; why couldn’t some of that be used to develop and maintain this heritage? We raised the issue of increased traffic created by further residential development, and that the former owners of 14 Wallace Avenue were refused permission to subdivide because of this. We spoke about planting native trees to offset the loss of wildlife habitat due to vigorous housing development in Inverloch. We referred to specific details in the Bass Coast Shire’s Open Space Plan, stating the relevant clauses that supported retention of the park and the benefits to health of public open spaces: ‘Natural environments have been proven to stimulate wellbeing in all ages,’ we said. ‘Our children and adults, whether young or old, require these environments to maintain optimal health. Can you please assist us in creating and maintaining this environment for future generations? Once the park is gone, it’s gone forever.’
Dom Brusamarello spoke on behalf of the Inverloch Community Planning Group, that ‘Public Open Space is highly valued by the community and is seen as a vital community asset for present and future generations,’ and we presented a joint letter of support from Inverloch Rotary and Lions Clubs, their closing statement being: ‘The bottom line is that additional recreational/community land availability within Inverloch is a very significant requirement and objective of our local community and our organisations are keen to work with both Council and the community to achieve this goal.’ Then Barb spoke on the background to the park, how it would be an insult to volunteers to even consider selling it, and in reply to Council’s comment that there were no records of the exchange of land for Apex Park, I handed the Committee a photocopy of the Shire of Woorayl Council minutes 14 August1987, and read the reproduction of Jim’s Kennan’s letter:
‘I have given careful consideration to all submissions and representations… I am not prepared to recommend approval of the amendment as it stands… I would be prepared to recommend approval of the amendment to rezone [Apex Park] provided that an equivalent amount of local open space was made available and developed elsewhere in Inverloch… I note that your council has asked your Town Planner to investigate areas for the establishment of neighbourhood parks …’
And the Town Planner report: ‘Area 5 – Tower, Williams, Kenneth, Pier, encompassing Phillip Street and Wallace Avenue – there are no parks within this neighbourhood. … Two large sites exist at the end of Wallace Avenue, which is a court. Hence it would be suitable for the establishment of a park. Conclusion – A site off Wallace Avenue should be purchased and developed. Local residents should be surveyed as to their needs/ideas for a park.’
There was silence among the committee.
I was still trembling.
Ella then presented Council’s case and our group was asked to leave without being given a chance to reply. But where did that leave us?
All that was left was to wait.
Even though our lives were full of everyday responsibilities, they still seemed empty.
We entered a void.
The Ordinary Meeting of Council to decide the outcome was to be held on 28 July 2010, but several days prior Cr Ross Smith walked up Wallace Avenue. On his face was a smile, in his hand were letters.
We had been successful.
As soon as the minutes of the meeting were available online, I read them over and over, laughing one minute and shaking my head the next. ‘The Committee was impressed by the level of enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by the submitters and by the support they garnered from the wider Inverloch community. It recommends that they be given an opportunity to develop a Draft Landscape Plan for passive recreation for the site. Council now resolves that the land at 16 Wallace Avenue be retained as an area of public open space for passive recreation. Most submitters highlighted the fact that the land was acquired to offset the loss of public open space (Apex Park) before public housing could proceed, however it was the present and future role of the land, rather than the issues around its acquisition, which ultimately convinced the Committee of Council to recommend its retention.’
The official Council letter came on 3rd of August, the local papers covering the story. It was a victory for democracy they said, with Cr Ross Smith attending the park for photos, Barb congratulating the Councillors for their decision, and children holding up a sign ‘Thank You Bass Coast Shire Council’.
Barb and I looked at each other. “It’s not over yet, is it?” we said. “We’re going to have to do it properly this time, so we don’t end up here again in another ten or fifteen years.”
Gerry Lonergan offered to help. From the onset of our campaign he had shown a vital interest and soon volunteered to become part of our team. With a background in Legal Studies, he brought with him extensive knowledge and experience as well as the full backing of the Inverloch Rotary Club, and he proved to be an invaluable source of guidance and advice as we waded through government submissions and protocols. Many times I found myself calling: “Gerry! Help!” and he always came; gracious, approachable and generous. A true gentleman. When I told a local that Gerry was helping us, the comment was: “Once Gerry gets hold of something like this, he’s like a terrier with a rat.” And I had burst out laughing.
So here we were, August 2010, faced with drafting a plan for passive recreation. A meeting of interested parties was held onsite and to our delight a local Landscape Gardener offered to draw up concept plans to be presented to Council.
Nine months later we were still waiting, the plans not forthcoming, the park still unkempt.
Gerry approached Veronica Dowman, and at her suggestion letters requesting support were sent to Ross Smith and the Inverloch Rotary and Lions Clubs, and by June 2011 Rotary had sent a letter of support to Ross Smith and Council. Our group then sought a meeting with Council to discuss passive recreation requirements and Ella offered to arrange a meeting on site at a mutually convenient time. We letterboxed an invitation to nearby residents, welcoming ideas or requests.
Of great significance was a conversation I had with Anna, a parent at the school. As a girl she loved playing on a huge fallen tree that had been shaped into a lizard. Brad and Penny Lester also suggested a climbing lizard – “Like the one at Leongatha Primary School,” they said.
Ella, Jenny Churchill, Richard Clarkson, and Bernie Murphy met with us in July, along with neighbours and locals. Together we discussed landscape options – totem poles, steppingstones, a grass mound with a pipe through? The block was wet, drainage was an issue, but how about a winding path that could be ridden by bikes and scooters? Or a wooden platform?
“I’m not sure your suggestions will be suitable,” Ella said, explaining things such as tripping hazards, maintenance issues and consideration of neighbours. “But I can arrange for picnic tables and trees to be installed by Council.”
“And Chabrelle Chisholm from Council’s Community Planning Department is willing to meet with you,” Bernie said.
“A playground is not possible due to size,” Jenny reinforced, “but I’ve researched an interactive play feature that has been used in South Australia.” She handed us a photocopy of a long, concrete dragon seat, along with an aerial photograph of the park. “Once you come up with a plan, Council will give support for you to fundraise. Thank you for your enthusiasm.”
Enthusiasm?
The burden of responsibility had begun to weigh heavy. We were a small group; the dragon seat a huge task to finance. We pressed the issue of a playground, demonstrating that other parks were a similar size and providing a further quote with illustrations of a fully installed basic playground for under $5000. This we felt we could tackle. But for Council to consider a proposal outside the guidelines the group was required to supply full plans including site plans, funding, catchment area, statistics. Site plans had to include all equipment, tables, chairs, pathways and plantings. A business plan had to accompany the site plan. Any contractor needed to be prequalified with Council, and prepare a traffic management plan, job safety analysis, insurances.
We hung our heads, took time to breathe and consider.
Realistically, a Council Park becomes a Council liability – they had every right to impose stipulations. Bass Coast Shire is a beautiful place to live; we needed to work with them.
Norm and I drove to Leongatha Primary School to stand in front of the Blue-tongued Lizard sculpture. I walked its length, stroked the smooth grey concrete, felt the radiant warmth. Every unique detail was enthralling; images of children climbing, balancing, eating, laughing, rose before me. My vision clouded. We would never be able to raise the funds for something as amazing as this.
I called the school, got the name of the sculptor and dialled. “Hi Phil? My name’s Judy and I represent the Wallace Avenue Community Park Group in Inverloch. We’re looking to put a play feature in a park we’ve saved from residential development…”
“Oh, well done!” he said.
“… and we’ve been to see your Blue-tongued Lizard at Leongatha Primary School.”
“Yes, he’s a beauty isn’t he?”
“Do you do parks as well?”
“Parks are my forte!” he said. “I’m not fond of all these plastic playgrounds. I’d rather paint a set of wickets on a paling fence. I like kids to feel a sense of adventure and discovery, somewhere where their imagination is their play space.”
My lips pressed together; he sounded perfect.
Phil was listing his experience and qualifications.
“So how much would you charge to put something like that in our park?” I said.
“Well, it would take my team 2-3 days to build, transporting materials, excavating, their accommodation.”
My hopes sank lower with every word.
$20,000 would cover it,” he said.
“Oh…” I let go a sigh. “Well thank you very much but –”
“We do other creatures as well... snakes, turtles, mushrooms…” His enthusiasm was contagious.
“Well, we do have a dinosaur history…”
“Then how about a pterosaur? I have a design.”
I missed his bubbly enthusiasm as soon as the call ended. My shoulders hung. Somehow I had found myself in the principal role of this project, the contact that connected our group with Council, community groups and other government departments. And I felt far from qualified, emotionally or otherwise. Already I had spent many long hours drafting and sending communications and documents to people and into areas I was completely ignorant of. Yet I still had to go to work, run a business, run a household, care for my children and grandchildren.
I squared my shoulders and called Gerry.
Emailed him pictures of the Blue-tongued Lizard.
“We can’t do this without you, Gerry,” I said, and he just laughed.
“Let’s give it a go,” he said.
In September I emailed Jenny and Chabrelle: ‘Thank you for your ongoing support… we have been in contact with Philip Stray of Crafted Landscapes, who is highly experienced working with schools and kindergartens, public parks and gardens. He is the preferred contractor for the City of Manningham and has completed projects at Wombat Bend, Princess Park at Queenscliff, the central feature at Gallipoli Park, Marysville, and the Roughy Lake Park entrance. He was recently commissioned by Rick McConaghy, parks designer, to complete a dinosaur sculpture in Sydney. Most notably for us is the Blue-tongued Lizard sculpture at Leongatha Primary School. Phil says the design could be easily modified to represent a prehistoric dinosaur/lizard. He has a design for a pterosaur with the bulk under 400mm high, the head no more than 550mm and no finger entrapments. The sculpture is concrete and sits on gravel. He has quoted $20,000 which includes excavation of the site and gravel. Could you please reply as soon as possible giving Council’s approval for the project so the group can begin fundraising?’
Ella replied, visited the park, discussed our plot plan with Jenny and Richard Clarkson, then by 30 November, after more input from Veronica Dowman, we received in principal support to begin fundraising.
What did that mean for us?
Register as a charity.
The application form was accessible online; I began filling it out. ‘Details of Organisation and 5-person Committee.’ Yes, that was easy. ‘Letters of Consent from Beneficiaries.’ Yes, Barb signed one and Ella supplied one from Council, along with an offer of more support if needed. ‘Tax File Number and Australian Business Number.’ Okay, application done. Then came the request for our constitution.
Our constitution?
“Gerry!” I screamed into the phone.
“Put the kettle on,” he said. “I’ll be right over.”
And by 19 December 2011, we had gained Tax Concession Charity endorsement from the ATO, Registration as a Fundraiser with the Department of Justice, Consumer Affairs Victoria, and subsequent Tax Concession Charity status with the Australian Charites and Not-for-Profits Commission.
Gerry, Barb and I found ourselves in the office of the Inverloch Community Bank opening an account for the Wallace Avenue Community Park. Forms completed, Jacqui looked up from her computer. “All we need now is a deposit.” Gerry and I exchanged alarmed glances; we hadn’t brought any cash. But Barb was rummaging in the bottom of her bag. “I have a dollar,” she said, and we left the bank elated. We now had one dollar toward the development of the park.
I shared the news with my 94-year-old neighbour. She opened her purse and gave me $50.
We sent letters to Ross Smith, the Community Bank, service clubs, the Victorian Desalination Plant and Unions on site asking for any assistance that could be offered.
Rotary Market, January 7th, 2012: our first sausage sizzle. We’d researched health regulations and spoken with the BCSC Health Inspector. We’d sought advice and purchased sausages, onions, sauce, serviettes, drinks, ice, utensils, gloves. We’d approached Paul the Pieman bakery who supplied free bread. We’d sliced the onions the night before, bagged them and put them in the refrigerator.
Big mistake.
By morning the whole house smelled like onion.
I opened the refrigerator door and reeled back, dabbing at my eyes.
We lugged the supplies out to the car.
Rotary set up their rotunda and barbeque for us, then we were on our own: Norm, Barb, myself and our two kids. “Put the onions on first,” we’d been told. “The smell draws the crowds.” And they came, in trickles at first, then a rush with Norm cooking, me handling money, the kids building the sausages and bread, and Barb informing the public of our park, our project. We’d made up an information board with a picture of Phil’s Blue-tongued Lizard, and a collection tin with his pterosaur design. Coins began to drop into our tin.
At the height of the rush a bag tie ended up in someone’s onion and they came back complaining. I was mortified. But apart from that everyone was generous, interested and friendly, and after selling sausages for six hours, we packed up and hobbled home, covered in grease. I have never looked at a sausage sizzle the same since. We counted our takings. $584 profit. It was a start.
I sent a letter of thanks to Rotary: ‘I have now experienced your commitment on a personal level and have gained a deep respect and appreciation for your Club, and indeed all volunteer groups.’
We did more sausage sizzles with Rotary donating the sausages. One made only $5.10 profit after seven hours work! But the Lions and Rotary Clubs gave generous donations as did Gerry and ourselves. Cr Ross Smith donated $500 from his Councillor Ward Discretionary Fund. We sent thank you letters to them all. We designed collection tins displaying Phil’s pterosaur design and approached various businesses in Inverloch to house them. Foodworks Inverloch put us on their community rewards program.
Under Ella’s instruction, after consultation with our group, the tables and bench seat were installed. But the park needed to be fenced on the Northern boundary and we were reluctant to spend our precious dinosaur dollars. Then Anthony Hawken, Mitre 10 Inverloch, donated several hundred dollars’ worth of timber, and Clay Wyhoon of Garden Effects Landscaping offered his services, spending two days volunteer labour to erect a fence financed from park funds and a generous donation from a neighbour.
On April 2nd, Ella arranged for Phil to visit the park and do an arm wave quote, the local papers covering the story. His enthusiasm and energy were so vibrant the vision for the sculpture became a reality. We began researching grants.
We applied for a Bass Coast Community Grant with no success. We applied for a Bass Coast Community Foundation Grant with no success. We contacted Johan Scheffer MP, Upper House Eastern Region, who suggested the Healthy Parks, Healthy People Grant. ‘The work you and the Wallace Avenue Group have undertaken is clearly very impressive and I’m sure you’ll reach your goal,’ he wrote. However the grant wasn’t suitable for us.
But we also contacted Russell Broadbent MP and subsequently Ken Smith’s office who researched a grant for us. I rang the Department of Community Planning and Development, spoke to Steve Davies, then emailed Ella and Chabrelle. ‘On the advice of Russell Broadbent and Ken Smith’s office we have been in touch with the DCPD to explore the Regional Growth Fund’s Putting Locals First Program. I have spoken with a representative who has informed us we are eligible for a grant provided we get an auspice. The grant is in the form of a 3:1 funding, with an in-kind element. Can you please let us know if Council will be willing to act as the auspicing body? Once that is arranged we are to contact Steve Davies.’
A tense few months ensued, with many discussions, then on 15 August Steve Piasente, BCSC Community Economic Development Director, sent us an Expression of Interest for Council to Manage and Support a Grant Application. ‘We look forward to the continued partnership between your Group and Council in the development of the Wallace Avenue Park,’ he said in closing, and my spirits soared.
The application was a lengthy, detailed document requiring concise plans and evidence. We completed a rough draft, met with Ella and corresponded with Phil. We contacted community groups and service clubs for letters of support. But even after all our hard work, the funds we’d raised so far fell well short of our goal; it seemed we needed stronger and more persuasive rationale to attract prospective donors.
By September I knew what had to be done.
After printing a pile of questionnaires with illustrations of Phil’s pterosaur, I approached my small son. “Will you come with mummy to knock on some doors?” Residents would be less confronted if I had a child with me.
The going was tough, long hours walking and knocking, explaining, asking, presenting forms. However one house still stands vivid in my memory; an elderly couple in a grey brick cottage on Kenneth Street. The gentleman opened the door wide and invited us inside. His wife was drinking tea in her pink dressing gown, and when she looked up from the newspaper and smiled, I felt my whole body relax. With kind attentive eyes they listened, asked questions, commended our efforts and signed our survey, and we left so uplifted that we gained the fortitude to keep going. And by the time we’d walked and knocked over several weekends, covering all the nearby streets, 68 Forms were signed with names and addresses, totalling 761 Children, 327 Adults, and 38 Disabled/Elderly who wanted to use the park.
It was on one of those Saturday mornings that we approached a man with an impressive moustache, loading gardening equipment into a trailer. “Um, excuse me,” I ventured, ‘I’m from the Wallace Avenue Community Park Group, and we’re trying to get the park developed.”
He glanced at the pterosaur and his eyebrows raised. “I have to keep going with this,” he said, “but… Amanda, can you come look at this?”
Amanda, shielding her eyes, squinted at our form. “So sorry,” she said, “we were up rather late last night.” She took the clipboard from my hands and held it at arm’s length, blinking, asking questions. “What you’re doing is incredible,” she said. “I didn’t even know there was a park there.” And two days later she called me. “Hi Judy, this is Amanda. I have $5000 for you from RACV Inverloch Resort.”
I dropped the phone and wept.
Council elections had since taken place and our new councillor, Jordan Crugnale, took an immediate and vital interest in our project. She attended meetings, reviewed plans, came to our home and drank coffee, and sat up late at night poring over our application. She communicated with Phil, made a personal donation to our fund, was active in Council on our behalf, inquired and followed up with departments, and sent us many reassuring and encouraging emails. She even arranged for Justine Clarke to visit the park to raise public awareness. The day turned out to be steady rain and the meeting was moved, but the publicity was still a success, the local papers covering the story.
On 13 November yet another meeting with Council was held to discuss the final budget, landscaping plan and possible path for disabled access to the front table, with the South Gippsland Conservation Society contributing preliminary drawings for native vegetation. But Phil was at loggerheads with Council; he was happy to supply soft fall and groundwork, but two sections of his pterosaur were over Council’s regulation height of 500mm and he wasn’t prepared to compromise the design, was even willing to pay for a safety report from a qualified Playground Auditor.
Enter Louise Wilson, South Gippsland Conservation Society. “I’ve spoken to Mike Cleeland, Palaeontologist and Educator at Bunurong Environment Centre,” she emailed Jordan. “He is very excited about going with a local dinosaur, so I’ve done some research and I think I’ve come up with something.”
Koolasuchus cleelandi.
Local.
Flat.
Perfect.
And Phil loved the idea.
27th March 2013, 2.00pm – our Expression of Interest for Council to Support and Manage a Grant Application was submitted at Council offices, containing: evidence of funds raised $10,649.40, copies of the original documents pertaining to the acquisition of Wallace Avenue Park, detailed plans and specifications for development of the sculpture from Phillip Stray, detailed plans and specifications for drainage from Clay Wyhoon, ‘mud’ plan for landscaping submitted by Louise Wilson, support letters (1) Ken Smith (2) Rotary Club of Inverloch (3) Lions Club of Inverloch (4) South Gippsland Conservation Society (5) Inverloch Preschool (6) Inverloch Primary School (7) Lions and Rotary joint letter 2010, the results and copies of the survey forms, copies of local newspaper articles and the requested backup stick in editable format.
I would like to say that from then on it was easy and straightforward, but it wasn’t.
Our grant application did not quite meet the criteria, but Laurie Paton, Senior Project Officer at RDV, went into battle for us, engaging in meetings and earnest discussions with Council and the Department. I remember Laurie saying to me that the turning point for him was when he visited the park, and walked out into the middle and thought, ‘Hey this is really nice.’ And I must say that he is the only person in a government department who has ever called me ‘mate’. So Laurie, on behalf of the Inverloch Community, thanks mate. This park is your legacy too.
Ella also worked hard for us, as she had from the beginning, revising, fine tuning and negotiating. Council staff came and went, and it wasn’t until January 2014 that our grant application was finally submitted by Howard Scott.
Thus began a nervous wait.
In April we sent a letter to Peter Ryan MP and received his reply: ‘… when your application does come before me, I will certainly give it my very careful consideration.’ Then by Thursday 5th June, I am walking around the park in my black dress and heels. I can hardly stop smiling. Ken Smith is at my elbow and leans in to share a confidence and I laugh. Jordan is there, and Laurie Paton, members of Rotary and Lions, Gerry, Barb, Trina, Norm, and locals with kids.
“I’m here to announce the successful outcome of the Wallace Avenue Community Park Putting Locals First Grant,” Ken says. “The State Government will spend $35,540 on the development of this park, including a sculpture of Koolasuchus cleelandi.” A cheer goes up, with clapping and congratulations. We eat morning tea, drink champagne, a reporter gathers us together, climbs onto a table and the camera clicks.
Thank you letters were sent to everyone involved.
The final meeting for the project was to be held on site with Council employees, Jordan, Gerry, Clay and Phil. But a gusty wind kept tugging at our paperwork and running off with our words. “We could go inside,” I ventured, even though I was embarrassed; our kitchen was old and tattered, the benches chipped, the cupboard doors hanging crooked. I looked at everyone seated around our table. What could I feed these special, important people besides biscuits and coffee? I warmed up a tray of sausage rolls, my grandmother’s recipe, and by the time the meeting concluded there were only crumbs left.
In March 2015, Clay arrived with his excavator and team, digging in drainage pipes, connecting them to storm water, and leveling the site for the sculpture. Phil was to follow in a couple of days and I was overwhelmed with appreciation; he had persisted with us for four years while we struggled to get the project finalised. I sent him a text message.
“Hi Phil, thank you so very much for all your support. I can hardly wait to see your sculpture in our park.”
And the reply came back: “I hope it turns out as good as your sausage rolls.”
In April his team rumbled up the court and began their work. Over a hundred metal droppers pegged carefully shaped plyboard and hessian packed out with mortar, then steel was placed inside the mould. The next day the cement mixer poured the beast with Phil’s team vibrating the concrete into the mould and adding detail under the direction of Lesley Kool. Mike Cleeland arrived with a wooden homemade template for the footprints in the path. Mud rock surrounds were thoughtfully positioned, and a cluster of eggs formed. Then on day three the mould was carefully removed to reveal a beautiful Koolasuchus cleelandi. Phil had used a long strip of rubber to shape the teeth, and when he peeled it back to bare her grin, I caught the glint in her eye.
The official opening was on 19 November 2015, organised by Council. Jodi Kennedy acted as host, Mayor Jordan Crugnale opened the park development then invited me to speak.
Nervous, but so very grateful to everyone involved, I stood in the row of dignitaries.
“The history of the Wallace Avenue Park began in the early 1960’s when Annie Jacobson donated 1½ acres on William Street to the Shire of Woorayl as the open land contribution of a subdivision,” I said. “This land became Apex Park. We have with us today some members of the former Inverloch Apex Club, and I’d like to welcome them – Doug Muir, Frank McGarvey, Gordon Beard, Tom Taylor, Frank Bain, Mary Butcher on behalf of Cole Butcher, Kevin Bradley. Thank you for your contribution to the community and for being a part of the history of this park.”
Then I welcomed and thanked everyone else in turn, including Laurie Paton, Phil, Clay, Amanda, Lesley Kool, Mike Cleeland, representatives from the Community Bank, R.A.C.V. Inverloch Resort, Rotary and Lions, the members of our group and the team from Bass Coast Shire Council.
“Working on this campaign has been an incredibly humbling experience because of the spirit and generosity of all involved,” I said. “This Park has brought the community together and we have made many friends. Every time you buy a sausage or put some coins in a tin, or put up your hand to do something, you are helping someone, and this park truly is one that stands in honour of volunteers everywhere.”
A round of applause and Mike wraps his lanky arm around me in an impulsive hug. Koolasuchus keeps grinning. Terry Hall gains the group’s attention and climbs onto a rock. “There’s something that has been left out,” he said. “We need to thank Judy.” And I drop my head. None of this was done with any thought of glory or thanks. I am a volunteer.
Months pass, the park being discovered and enjoyed. Then one day I hear a convoy of cars followed by animated voices and the clink of hammers on rocks. “Hi Mike,” I say, venturing toward his group. Mike turns with a wide smile and raises his voice. “Everyone, I’d like to introduce Judy.” They all look up. “Judy worked with Council to raise the funds to get this park developed.”
There is a gasp and a ripple of claps, and I don’t know what to do. I give a little wave, and a smile. The group disperses, a child in safety goggles runs to me cradling a fossil in two hands. “Oh wow!” I exclaim, examining it closely as another child appears. “Can I take a photo?”
Six years on and the park is thriving with over a thousand visitors per year. It was featured in the Museum of Victoria, Monash University Dinosaur Dreaming Dig 2015 Annual Field Report. Locals and neighbourhood children have developed a sense of ownership and pride in the park. They picnic, host parties, play ball, run their dogs, play chess or snakes and ladders, lounge in the sun, sip coffee, talk and form bonds. Native trees grow tall and strong. A Facebook and Instagram page have been opened. An information board showcases Koolasuchus cleelandi; children go home and research local dinosaurs. And during school holidays and long weekends, in all kinds of weather, Mike brings tourist and school groups who break up rocks brought in from Wonthaggi Coal Mine or Koonwarra. Many fine fossil specimens have been uncovered, including some that have been sent to Melbourne Museum for identification.
Our group remains active; recently we were successful in gaining a shelter through the generosity and help of Inverloch Lions and Rotary, Greg Polson, BCSC, plus Jordan Crugnale MP, steering us toward a State Government Shade Grant.
And our next project? Dinosaur bike racks…
Our lives go on and things settle into a new routine. Then one day Dot McGarvey walks into my workplace with a scrapbook in her hands. “You can have it for as long as you like,” she smiles.
I wait for a quiet moment, then gently turn the first page. And there stands a photograph of Doug Muir and Frank McGarvey at the newly erected stone gates of Inverloch Apex Park. Apex took over the park in 1969, I read, and maintained it for 18 years. Apart from general maintenance, works included a track, drainage, trees, an electric barbeque, climbing bar, slide, picnic table and seats. They then suggested the Shire of Woorayl use it as a site for aged accommodation. The Chairman of the Woorayl Lodge Inverloch Committee, Terry Hall, was described as ‘an irresistible force’ and ‘the ‘prime mover’. Along with Woorayl Lodge manager, Ted Rundle, and organised by Peter McGauran, Local Federal Member, he even took a deputation to Canberra to the Minister for Community Services to secure elderly accommodation, and also held personal discussions with the Victorian State Minister for Housing in Melbourne.
I turn the pages.
In 1985 a Red Cross bus was running to help the elderly and Terry was quoted: ‘I am constantly amazed at the resourcefulness of the community to raise funds for a worthwhile project.’
The Great Southern Star, Tuesday October 14th, 1986, reported on a long running dispute at Inverloch involving the plan to build elderly persons accommodation on Apex Park – Terry Hall and his supporters against the South Gippsland Conservation Society, who sought the support of Jim Kennan. An independent tribunal of the Town and Country Planning Board commissioned by the State Government had recommended Apex Park be rezoned from recreational to special purposes to allow the elderly units.
But by 5 May1987 the group was still waiting for rezoning. They had been 5 years so far on the project. The Ministry of Housing guaranteed funding for 12 of the proposed 25 units, with the committee having to look at ways of raising the extra finance required.
Another page, and I find myself staring at a photograph of Jim Kennan standing on Apex Park, a large crowd of people around him. It cost rate payers $115,000 to buy town blocks to replace Apex Park.
More pages.
March 1988: plans for the $1.6 million elderly units unveiled at Woorayl Council meeting. 30 units. Coldon Homes awarded the contract. And in August 1988 Terry Hall, newly elected Woorayl Shire President, gives his acceptance speech: ‘Councils are in the people business. I am determined that my door will be open to the people, the Councillors, the shire officers and the public.’
I read on.
The Inverloch Apex Club provided guernseys to the Inverloch-Kongwak thirds, removed a steam roller from the kindergarten and replaced it with a boat, catered at the Leongatha Motor-Cycle Club’s Annual Hill Climb and the Apex Club’s Annual Bowls Day, cleared a block for Anglican members, mowed lawns, lopped trees, sponsored a secondary school student to The Philippines.
The Milpara Ladies Club raised over $1000 towards the furnishing of the community lounge.
Volunteers.
In October 1989 the first residents of Inverloch Lodge were given keys. The official opening by Mr Alan Thompson, Acting Director of Housing and Construction, was on Thursday 29 March, 1990, and I found myself staring at the same photograph the elderly lady at the units had put into my hand all those years ago.
During our campaign the Inverloch Rotary Club invited me to attend a meeting and speak about the park. Nervous to the socks, I found myself shaking, but everyone was so kind, attentive, and vitally interested that I soon relaxed. These amazing people were just ordinary people – ordinary people, doing extraordinary things. And sometimes it only takes a few kind words to make a vital difference, like the elderly couple in the grey brick house on Kenneth Street.
A group of people sit on the shore at The Caves, breaking up rocks to uncover dinosaur history. Volunteers.
The rain pours down, kids squeal. Some run for the veranda, some raise their hands and dance. The remaining coach rallies his team, they line up and continue the exercise, laughing, water running down their faces. The sausages come out hot and plentiful. Auskick, 2021. Volunteers.
August 2008, I stand on a road in a dark night, alone in the midst of manic activity, flashing emergency lights and a thumping air ambulance, watching my older son being cut out of a mangled car wreck. Who comes to stand by me and give comfort? A volunteer.
The sky is an eerie pink, a hot north wind blows smoke across a red sun. A man answers his phone, gathers his gear, and hugs his wife goodbye, not knowing how many days he will be gone. Firefighter. Volunteer.
A semitrailer pulls up at the gate of a flooded farm at Port Macquarie, loaded with Gippsland hay donated to feed starving cattle, and the farmer fights back tears. Who is driving? Volunteers.
And around on Williams Street a widower lives in comfort and shares a community garden in a complex where the old stone gates of Apex Park still stand, unaware that 40 years ago a committee of councillors and volunteers fought hard to build the unit he now lives in situated on land once managed by a volunteer group.
This community needs to be proud.
And when other groups ask how we did it, my answer is simple: be organised, be persistent, be respectful.
I was invited by Council to attend a meeting to give feedback on our experience as a group dealing with Council to get the park developed. But even though I had spent weeks researching and placing events carefully in chronological order over an 8-page document, I failed to establish the important issues. And do you know why? Because I got stuck in the details of the moment instead of standing back and looking at the big picture. Like a passionate group of conservationists, and an environment minister.
So now when I’m in my kitchen and I hear the rattle of scooters and children’s voices: “Mummy, mummy look! It’s a dinosaur!” And big sister replies, “No it’s not! It’s a prehistoric amphibian!”, I think of the South Gippsland Conservation Society, and Jim Kennan, and their big picture decisions that brought this park into being and the huge impact it has had generations after.
But I must admit, sometimes when I catch Koolasuchus grinning at me, I stop and pause, and my eyes narrow. Could it be that she had this whole thing planned a very, very long time ago?
In honour of and thanks to:
Gerry Lonergan
Terry Hall
Inverloch Apex Club
Inverloch Rotary Club
Inverloch Lions Club
South Gippsland Conservation Society
Hon Jim Kennan
Hon Jordan Crugnale
Hon Ken Smith
Hon Peter Ryan
Hon Johan Scheffer
Hon Russell Broadbent
Steve Davies RDV
Laurie Paton RDV
Inverloch Historical Society
Caillin Flint: RACV Inverloch Resort
Inverloch Community Bank
Mitre10: Anthony Hawken
Foodworks Inverloch
South Gippsland Chiropractic Services
Clay Wyhoon
Philip Stray and his team, Dan and Angus
Norm Vradenburg
Barb Langston
Trina Phillips
David Dockery
Carli Johnstone
Amanda Tonkin
Doug and Veronica Muir
Frank and Dot McGarvey
Dennis Ginn
Ron Stanley
Dom Brusamarello
Great Southern Star Newspaper
South Gippsland Sentinel Times.
Doug Pell: Lifestyle Gippsland Magazine
Paul the Pieman Bakery
Louise Wilson
Dave Sutton
Lesley Kool
Mike Cleeland
Linda and Ken Aly
Wendy Caple: Inverloch Primary School
Belinda Elliott: Inverloch Preschool
Dorothy Milligan
Michelle Harris
Justine Clarke
Bass Coast Shire Council – particularly Ella Angarane, Steve Piasente, Derek Peters, Hans Kamphius, Mark Hill, Richard Clarkson, Howard Scott, Bernie Murphy, Chabrelle Chisholm, Jenny Churchill, Shirley Egan, Greg Polson, Ross Smith, David Wall, Veronica Dowman, the Councillors on the Committee, and the maintenance team for ongoing maintenance.
Thank you to the local community for supporting our fundraisers, surveys, and meetings.
Collection tins – Red Elk, Scotts Menswear: Fiona Hughes, Pizza Palace: Tony Ciccia, Beaches and Cream: Steve, Community Bank: Jacqui Laurie, Southern Bazaar: Wendy de Kunda, A’Beckett St Veterinary Clinic: Hugh Thomas, Tomo Modern Japanese Restaurant, and our sausage sizzle tin. Total raised $426.80
[*1] Source: Lesley Kool.
[*2] Planning Permit Application 97/684
[*3] Beach Avenue now Evergreen Avenue
Photographs: The Great Southern Star; Dot McGarvey; Wallace Avenue Community Park Group.