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Peter Walsh op-ed: High Country Hall of Fame

Visions of High Country Hall of Fame.

By Portal Admin - 27th January 2018 - Back to News

I was delighted to attend the 2018 Mountain Cattlemen’s Get Together last weekend at Omeo.

Together with my Nationals and Liberal colleagues, I announced plans to help this iconic region create a High Country Hall of Fame.

Back in 2015, Steph Ryan and I were fortunate enough to spend a couple of days riding through the High Country with the McCormack, Stoney and Lovick families.

Listening to Charlie, Glenda and Kellie, Bruce, Deb, Graeme and Wendy, tell the tales of their own adventures and the knowledge their families hold as custodians of the high country, it was so clear to me that this region really is a unique part of Victoria.

It is unique not just for its breathtaking landscapes, but also because of the men and women who have lived in this country and whose stories are part of our identity, as a state and as a nation.

They are immortalised in Banjo Paterson’s iconic poem The Man from Snowy River and the subsequent films, which still to this day drive tourists to the area.

But the High Country is also a unique part of Victoria’s history and heritage for so many other reasons.

It is a region of special significance for Victoria’s Indigenous people.

It is part of the stories of early European explorers Hume and Hovell.

It was the location of now past industries including gold mining and tobacco farming.

Australia’s most notorious bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang roamed the Wombat Ranges.

Now days the roaming is a lot more placid and done by bushwalkers, horse riders, skiers, 4WDs and others seeking recreational thrills.

There are so many stories, so many landmarks of significance, so many people who have helped build and sustain the High Country and the ethos of hard work engrained within those communities.

It’s funny what you think of lying in a swag on the side of a mountain with a hungry horse noisily chomping right in your ear. But what I thought about that night back in 2015 was that it was really important that future generations to understand and have the opportunity to experience the beauty and the inspiration of our High Country.

That’s why the Liberal Nationals have made the commitment that if we are elected at this November’s State Election, we want to help the communities of this region create a High Country Hall of Fame.

If we form Government, we will put up $200,000 to start work with the High Country communities to determine the best location and design for a Hall of Fame that will truly celebrate the heritage and achievements of this special part of the world.

The High Country Hall of Fame will be developed in close consultation with local communities with the goal of creating a centre that adds value to the existing tourism assets of the High Country, while also recognising and celebrating the High Country and its people, past and present.

The Liberal Nationals recognise that Victoria’s High Country is a special place, and we look forward to winning Government – with your help – and building the High Country Hall of Fame from vision into reality.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com

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