Gippsland › Latest news › East Gippsland Local News

Sailors Grave Brewing's Chris Moore delivers inspiring keynote at 2024 East Gippsland Australia Day Awards in Orbost

Chris Moore, Australia Day Ambassador, celebrates East Gippsland's potential in his keynote at the 2024 Awards in Orbost, highlighting the region's diversity, pride, and local craft brewing.

By news@gippsland - 19th January 2025 - Back to News

East Gippsland Shire Council's Australia Day Awards held in Orbost on Saturday 18 January had a local flavour, from the music (by Marlo's The Remedies) down to the keynote address from the area's local brewer. Delivered by Australia Day Ambassador Chris Moore, the keynote address was a reminder to see East Gippsland's potential for prosperity, opportunity, and pride.

The 2024 Australia Day Awards in Orbost, with local music and Chris Moore's keynote, highlighted East Gippsland's potential

Crafting regional identity

Chris and Gabrielle Moore are the makers behind Sailors Grave Brewing, a craft brewery that started in Orbost and recently expanded to a place they've called Dunetown, sited between Marlo and Cape Conran, which also features a cellar door and restaurant. The philosophy behind their brewery extends beyond making great beer. They strive to infuse each brew with the rich history and unique landscape of the region, crafting liquid whilst representing East Gippsland's coast, forests and the essence of the Aussie spirit.

Their dedication to promoting local ingredients, supporting East Gippsland's agricultural economy, and engaging in environmental sustainability efforts has made Sailor's Grave a respected and influential part of the community.

Chris said, "I am incredibly proud to be this year's Australia Day Ambassador and to be part of a community that consistently comes together in times of need and celebrates its unique identity. These awards highlight the efforts of countless individuals who dedicate their time and energy to making East Gippsland such a wonderful place to live."

Chris's keynote address

About 11 years ago, Gab and I moved from Sydney to Marlo. For Gab, it was a return to the place where she grew up. For me, it was a bit different. I grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne, but my grandfather was from Orbost. So, for me, it was a return to my roots.

Once we found out that we both had roots here, we asked Gab's family if the Perrys and the Ingrams had ever mixed in any way. Apparently not. So that's a relief! We'd been living in Sydney running a restaurant, before deciding to return. And these past 11 years since returning have been a journey of discovery for me - discovering the value of this region and realising just how incredible it is.

It's been amazing to see so many of my preconceptions completely overturned. To be honest, I've realised how narrow-minded I was. This region is one of the most diverse, bountiful, productive, and collaborative places anywhere.

Building regional prosperity

What motivates Gab and me most - both personally and in business - is a really simple thing: we have three children who are growing up in this region. Our biggest hope is that they grow up in a thriving, prosperous and diverse community.

It's a motivation that I think many people can understand, and it's something we all share. I want our children to grow up here, explore the big wide world, and then, like us, want to return. For them to want to return, they need to see the value of this region and understand how special it is. So, how does this happen?

How do we help our kids, neighbours, and even ourselves recognise and embrace the value of this region? And how do we share that message with the wider world? For us, it comes down to telling stories - stories about places, but most importantly, stories about people.

Telling regional stories

Through our business, we've always told stories about beer. We happen to make beer, but in many ways, the product itself is kind of irrelevant. Beer is just a vehicle for sharing the stories of our region. It's the connection to this place that truly matters. Every time we send out a beer - whether to Gippsland, Melbourne, interstate, or overseas - we're sending out a story.

These stories can be about the local landscape, the producers, or even the neighbour who has a glut of lemons. Sometimes, they're about the First Peoples of this region, or the pristine environment we're privileged to live in.

For example, one of the first beers we made used beautiful local seaweed from Snowy River Station. Another beer we created incorporated sea urchin - a collaboration with Yuin Nation First Nations people - which highlighted both a seafood festival in Mallacoota and the environmental issue of sea urchin overgrowth on the ocean bed.

Celebrating local heritage

Sometimes, the story is about heritage. For instance, Orbost was a corn country for a long time. We've embraced that heritage by putting corn in some of our beers, opening a Mexican restaurant, and even commissioning a stone mill to make tortillas from locally grown maize. We want to celebrate the producers, the landscape, and the skills of this region.

A few years ago, before we even had a venue, we were invited to speak at a Victorian tourism conference. It felt strange because our brewery wasn't a destination at the time. But we realised we'd become ambassadors for the region simply by sharing its stories.

Collaboration and diversity

Now, with a venue of our own, we're helping to bring people here. Whether they come for a music festival or just our cellar door, anyone visiting for the first time is amazed by this place. One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is collaboration. We work with a diverse group of businesses, neighbours, and First Nations groups, and we find such a like-minded attitude towards this region.

We collaborate with people who value East Gippsland, who see its potential for prosperity, opportunity, and pride. If I had to pick one thing that bonds me to this region, it's diversity. From the outside, regional communities can be seen in a simplistic way, but for me, it's the opposite.

Celebrating regional diversity

East Gippsland is incredibly diverse - in people, in opinions, in aspirations. We live alongside people from a wide range of backgrounds: First Nations people, multi-generational families, newcomers starting fresh lives, and sea- or tree-changers. There are different beliefs, values, and dreams here, but one of the greatest strengths of this region is how well we embrace this diversity.

We live together, respecting our differences while finding common bonds - not just through our appreciation of the natural beauty around us, but also in valuing each other. If I had a beer right now, I'd raise it to East Gippsland. My message is simple: let's embrace what we have every single day, because what we have is incredibly valuable.

Pictures from Visit Victoria website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com