Judy Vradenburg, third from right, with winners of the 2024 Victorian Community History Awards. Photo: Claryssa Humennyj-Jameson, ISKA PHOTOGRAPHY
INVERLOCH writer Judy Vradenburg has pulled off a quinella with her history of a community campaign pulling off a second major award.
On Monday Wallace Avenue Community Park Inverloch: A Short History took out the Collaborative Community History Award at the 2024 Victorian Community History Awards.
The book is a fly-on-the-wall account of community activism to save a local park from being sold by the council to a developer.
On Monday Wallace Avenue Community Park Inverloch: A Short History took out the Collaborative Community History Award at the 2024 Victorian Community History Awards.
The book is a fly-on-the-wall account of community activism to save a local park from being sold by the council to a developer.
| Judy’s book also won third prize in the 2021 Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction. The judges commented: “It ties together community, politics, history, future planning and volunteers and is a fascinating story of dedicated community action. “The author is part of this story, nervous, unsure, yet honest, open and forging ahead. It is a story which engages and informs and with a happy ending which makes this a rare gem in the annals of local activism. “It ties together community, politics, history, future planning and volunteers and is a fascinating story of dedicated community action. … It is a story which engages and informs and with a happy ending which makes this a rare gem in the annals of local activism." Judy said she was still reeling after being named the winner of the community history award, for which she won a $2000 prize. And she paid tribute to the Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction for giving her the impetus to complete her book. |  The award-winning Wallace Avenue Community Park Inverloch is available online, at PaperPlay Inverloch and at the Bunurong Environment Centre Inverloch. You can read also read it on the Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction website. |
The local writing prize was the brainchild of Phillip Island writer Phyllis Papps who also sponsored it for two years.
Anne Heath Mennell, who helped to run the prize, said she was thrilled by Judy’s further success. “The prize continues to produce these surprising ripples, even years later.”
Sam Gatto’s Aspects of Wonthaggi’s History Through Street and Place Names, published by the Wonthaggi Historical Society last year, was shortlisted for the History Publication Award.
Anne Heath Mennell, who helped to run the prize, said she was thrilled by Judy’s further success. “The prize continues to produce these surprising ripples, even years later.”
Sam Gatto’s Aspects of Wonthaggi’s History Through Street and Place Names, published by the Wonthaggi Historical Society last year, was shortlisted for the History Publication Award.