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A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY
MORWELL’S PROGRESS - 2005-2011
INTRODUCTION
From
Advance Morwell's formation In 1998, we
have outlined Morwell’s strengths and challenges, and listed our
proposals to promote strengths and overcome weaknesses.
Encouragement of community pride through celebration of our culture
and heritage was a primary objective, and continues to be so in 2011
and into the future.
PRIDE THROUGH RECOGNITION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
BANNER MURALS ON CBD BUILDINGS
We
decided to record significant elements of our past by providing
murals on prominent buildings. Three banner murals were erected
3years ago, one depicting roses, another recording the town’s
history, and a third chronicling the role of the electricity
industry. A fourth banner celebrating the area's multicultural
history was erected in Church Street. There was significant community input to the design of
all four and financial support was received from Advance Morwell,
Latrobe City Council, and owners of the buildings.
MORWELL CENTENARY ROSE GARDEN
The
Morwell Centenary Rose Garden
is built on the Norman
Sharpe reserve and was officially opened in 1992. Significant extensions have
been added over the years including many new beds, installation of a
new environmentally friendly watering system, and new paths. The
Garden has been
featured in the Newsletter of the World Federation of
Rose Societies, and as a result of its extensive annual development
and high level of local support, the Conference of the World
Federation of Rose Societies recognised it as an International
Garden of Excellence. Only one other Rose Garden in Australia and
fewer than 50 worldwide have this award. Lovingly tended each week
by a large group of volunteer Friends of the Garden, and Latrobe City
Council garden staff, it is a magnet for visitors. Locals use it
for general gatherings, musical performances, weddings, and
celebrations.
Every year from 2000 to 2007 Advance Morwell held a Celebration of
Roses event in the Garden. Since 2008, the garden has
hosted a concert featuring municipal bands from all over Gippsland.
BADGING MORWELL AS A ROSE TOWN
Roses and home rose gardens have always been a feature of Morwell.
A major project begun in 2009 and
continued in 2010 and continuing in later years is “Badging Morwell as a Rose Town”. We aim to
build on the wide recognition of the World-Renowned Centenary Rose
Garden by giving each business a rose emblem sticker for its window,
and by providing a number of tubs full of roses on the footpaths in
front of businesses that undertake to look after them. This is a
project involving support from the Friends of the Rose Garden and
Latrobe City Council.
LEGACY PLACE
For many years pedestrian access to the north and south sides of
Morwell was limited to an ugly, dark, and dangerous subway. Action
had to be taken to get a safe, attractive and easily accessible
crossing. Thanks to a concerted and continuing community campaign
the old subway was filled in and a fine new crossing provided. It
was officially opened by the Victorian Attorney General the Hon. Rob
Hulls late in 2006. This was a major combined achievement of many
bodies including the State Government, Latrobe City Council,
community groups such as Advance Morwell, and local citizens. The
building of the crossing enabled us to provide an open area named
Legacy Place in honour of Sir
Stanley Savige, founder of Legacy.
Recognition of Sir
Stanley Savige, born in Morwell, a highly decorated soldier and
founder of Legacy, has been a major project from its commencement in
2006 till its completion in 2010. A bust of our town’s most famous
citizens was placed in the open area named Legacy Place situated
next to the fine new crossing. Legatee Bill Rogers, State President
of Legacy, officially dedicated the bust during Legacy Week 2006.
In attendance were a large assembly of local people, members of the
extended Savige family, and representatives of the Assyrian
Levies. The memorial was funded by contributions from Latrobe City
Council, the Federal Government, Advance Morwell, local Rotary and
Lions Clubs, local RSL Clubs, individual Legatees, members of the
Savige family, and the community at large.
A LEGACY PLACE
sign set on a background featuring Legacy emblems was completed in
2010. An adjoining plaque contains a bronze representation of Sir
Stanley in his Legacy work, together with an outline of his war
record and the aims and work of Legacy. Support for completion of
the project came from Veterans Affairs, Latrobe City Council,
Legacy, and Advance Morwell. A large attendance including
representatives of the Savige family was present to witness
Legatee Bill Rogers, Past Victorian President of Legacy formally
dedicate the completed project.
MORWELL COMMON
Once a bare and uninviting area,
the Common has been continuously
upgraded since 1998 when a huge community effort led by
International Power Hazelwood constructed a magnificent new
Playground - the area is now one of the most popular venues for
locals and visitors of all ages. People from all over Gippsland
come to spend passive time there while their children use the
playground.
Morwell is home to many refugees, the latest a large Sudanese
community, and a special plantation records the hardships these
refugees had before settling in Australia.
In
2007 and 2008 major extensions included a new picnic shelter
constructed by the Rotary Club of Morwell, an extended parking area
and more paths provided by Latrobe City Council. The representative
committee advising Council on the development of the Common has
pushed for facilities such as a sound shell to be provided Each year
Rotary runs a celebration festival in the Common, and in 2008 a
special event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the
Playground’s construction was held.
CRINIGAN BUSH RESERVE
The 100 acre reserve was the last patch of bush in Morwell, but it
had been logged and left to become a tip. Full of rubbish, it was
used by trail bikes and four-wheel drives, and generally abused.
Peter Ryan, a resident who lived nearby, saw the potential of this
site, and gathered together a committee of 10 like-minded people.
This committee gained local council funding to have the area cleaned
and regenerated.
The
Reserve is now fenced, roads made, and walking tracks
which follow contours constructed. In addition, a shelter, tables
and chairs and breeding boxes have been provided. All this has been
achieved as a result of help from various local groups, community
volunteers and service organisations. International Power Hazelwood
donated materials for the tables, chairs and seats, and CORE
personnel made them up. Local businesses sponsored finished
products.
All schools in the area are Friends of the Reserve. Little
Athletics, Traralgon Harriers, local football and soccer clubs all
use it for training. It is also popular with horse riders. The
theme is Mix it so all can use it. We now have a
passive recreation area for residents as well as for sporting
groups. Plans are under way to link the Reserve to existing walking
tracks within the town.
Potholes caused by four-wheel drives have been left unfilled as
home for the frogs that have settled in them. Five of the six known
species of Gippsland frogs live in the Reserve and a census is held
mainly at night four times a year involving a Melbourne academic and
students from local schools
A
shelter area has been built and is used by many groups and
individuals. School students use it as an outdoor classroom, and
are designing, creating, and erecting a montage of animals and
plants.
The
Reserve is now home for over 170 different plants and approximately
30 native orchids. Native birds, and animals such as koalas,
kangaroos, wombats are starting to return.
Several amenities for visitors have been added since 2006 including
an information booth and picnic shelter. The committee continues to
be aided by a large team of enthusiastic volunteers, and it has the
continuing support of Council, sponsors such as the Lions Club of
Morwell, the
Rotary Club of Morwell, Advance Morwell, and the
community.
ATTRACTIVE ENTRIES TO MORWELL
A
proud town must ensure the entries to the municipality are
attractive, informative, and welcoming. We have cooperated with
Latrobe City Council in providing Serving Morwell signs
listing our many voluntary service organisations at the western and
eastern highway entrances. We have commissioned the same graphic
artist who has designed our building banners to produce Welcome to
Morwell signs. They are due to be put in place in 2011.
A major project
is the painting of the pillars
of the former briquette railway bridge at the western entrance to
Morwell.
RECOGNITION OF
MIGRANTS’ CONTRIBUTION
Morwell and the wider
Latrobe City have attracted many overseas migrants, and they have
made an invaluable contribution to our area. Morwell is a fine
example of a successful multicultural community and is host to the
Migrant Resource Centre which
serves the whole of Gippsland.
For many years a
multicultural festival, the Church Street Fiesta, attracted
visitors, most of them former migrants, from afar. Most of the
Church Street businesses from the 1950s through to the present day
have been owned and run by migrants. For many non-English speaking
people this was a great boon.
The visionary
project to build a significant memorial The Immigration Wall of
Recognition to record the names and achievements of migrants
who came to Gippsland and helped build our community, was completed
and officially opened in March 2007. Many thousands including local
people and visitors attended the official opening.
The area has been
extended and hundreds of extra names listed on the walls. A highly
successful festival is held in the grounds of the Immigration Wall
of Recognition in March each year. The whole area is a magnet for
local people and visitors from far and wide, and we are proud of
this memorial which has received enthusiastic support from migrants,
the State and Federal Governments, and the wider community.
The Migrant
Wall of Recognition was awarded first prize in the Gippsland region
and as a result became one of 8 projects in contention for the
Victoria wide prize.
At the ceremony
held in Moe on October 4, 2008 the judges named the Migrant Wall of
Recognition the outstanding Victorian entry in the Heritage and
Culture category, and made the presentation to leading workers in
this project, Don di Fabrizio and Maggi Auciello.
An
imaginative proposal to construct a Migrant Museum in the area to
list details of migrants to Gippsland is in an advanced planning
stage and most of the required finance has been received. In
addition, it is planned to install a number of information markers
around the perimeter of the lake listing the history of Gippsland
from earliest times to the present day.
AIRLIE BANK HOMESTEAD
Airlie Bank homestead
and farm occupy a special place in Morwell’s history.
The first owner of
the farm and the builder of the homestead, David Ogilvy Jnr. born in
1842, took over the property in 1870 and farmed it for nearly 20
years before selling it to Robert Bridle in 1897. The five Ogilvy
children were born in the homestead, one of whom, Emily Beatrice
Riley nee Ogilvy born 1896, was Australia’s oldest resident, prior
to her death on May 15th 2009 in her 113th
year.
The Bridle family
lived in the homestead and worked the farm till 1959, and on
retirement gifted the homestead and its immediate surrounds to the
then Morwell Shire. For many years it served as a home for Shire
Nursery employees but recently it became vacant and a target for
vandals.
Advance Morwell
received government employment funding to restore the homestead.
This fund was supplemented by a grant from the then Latrobe Shire
and by money raised from a public appeal. A number of working bees,
the first on August 28 1999, cleared the overgrown garden area.
Restoration of the homestead started on October 11 and was completed
for the official opening on April 16, 2000.
Since
its restoration Airlie Bank homestead has been home to Dad’s War
Stuff, a collection of World War 1 memorabilia collected by George
Auchterlonie, a Light Horseman and former Morwell Shire President.
More recently, it has been the base for the Carers Association, and
in July 2010 it is to house “Bev’s
Wonderworld of Dolls” - an extensive collection that will
be a major tourist attraction.
The homestead has
been recognised by Latrobe City Council as an important part of our
heritage and has been included in the City’s Heritage register.
MORWELL HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
The
Morwell Historical Society is
dedicated to the recording and maintenance of our history and
culture. Its extensive records are professionally recorded and are
available for scholars and groups seeking information. The Society
mounts regular displays depicting past events and people. Its
stored information was a valuable resource for the Sir Stanley
Savige recognition project and it had a leading role in the
identification of and information for the City’s Heritage list.
INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE
In
2008 the Morwell Historical Society identified 5 significant
features in the development of the town, and in 2010 provided signage at these 5 locations. The signs consist of a
photo on a metal plate plus information about the site.
1. Rose
Garden Former Morwell Mirboo North Railway line
2. Commercial
Road Former bank building
3. Commercial
Road Former Alexandra Park
4. Commercial
Road Morwell’s first school building
5. Chapel
Street Former Church of England building
BILLS HORSE TROUGH
From the late 1800s through to the 1940s and prior to the widespread
use of motor vehicles, horses were widely used for farming, drawing
heavy vehicles, and for personal transport. In hot weather they
often became distressed when drinking water was not available.
The animal loving Bills family sought to lessen horses’ distress by
providing drinking troughs in various towns throughout Victoria and
well beyond. In Morwell a trough was placed in Hazelwood Road
opposite the then Town Hall, now the Regional Art Gallery.
The
Morwell trough
was special as it had an attached small bowl for dogs
to drink at.
In later years when horses were no longer common the trough was
removed and taken to the Pony Club premises. It remained there for
many years but recently became redundant and was falling into
disrepair. As part of its plans to identify historical features of
the town the Morwell Historical Society decided to return the trough
and dog bowl to their original position. Latrobe City Council and
the Rotary Club of Morwell were responsible for repair and
enhancement of the trough, and on Sunday June 7, 2010 before a proud
audience of Historical Society members, Rotarians, Advance Morwell
members and citizens generally, the trough and bowl were lowered
into position.
STREET AND PLACE
NAMES IN CHURCHILL
Publication in early 2010 of the booklet Street and Place Names
of Churchill was a joint project by the Morwell Historical
Society and the Churchill Neighbourhood Centre. It attracted
widespread support from industry, local organisations and from the
local Latrobe City community in general. It is an invaluable record
of the history of the township of Churchill which was proclaimed in
March 1965, and of the district from which it grew.
DREDGER 21
The development of the Latrobe Valley and of Morwell has been based
on the use of brown coal for the generation of the State’s
electricity. Dredgers were imported from Germany and assembled
locally.
Dredger 21 was one of these, and it dug coal for many
years. When it became superseded it was decided to preserve it as a
reminder of our early days in the mines. Unfortunately the cost of
maintenance has grown and the dredger is now in danger of falling
into disrepair, and as a result an important part of our heritage
could be lost.
A
committee has been formed to preserve Dredger 21 - many of its
members are former SECV employees. Submissions have been made to the
Federal and State Governments as well as to Latrobe City Council and
to the existing power companies.
SUMMARY
Proud of our
community, our heritage, and our culture, we continue to work with a
wide range of people and organisations, including Latrobe City
Council, the State and Federal Governments, local businesses,
corporate entities, service clubs, industry, and the community at
large, to ensure Morwell continues to progress.
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