Heart of Wisconsin
Business & Economic Alliance and
Community Foundation of
South Wood County
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A Joint Initiative Between Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance and Community Foundation of South Wood County |
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Enterprising Rural Communities Study Tour 2004 – Australia Saturday, November 13, 2004 Saturday, November 13 we had most of the day free, until 4:00 pm. I stayed and worked on the Journal while the rest of the gang took the train to Fremantle, a sea shore community up the coast a few miles. This small town is filled with art galleries, antique shops, and great restaurants. They returned mid afternoon refreshed and ready to hit the road … sort of. With the sun shining in a cloudless sky, the city sights beckoned to us as we make our way to the city's edge and beyond. [1, 2, 3] 
We have a new bus with a new driver, Vic. This bus is as big as they come. For our small contingency we felt we were in the lap of luxury. We settled in to watch the changing landscape. As we traveled west the lush green hills faded to brown, the tall, majestic trees gave way to smaller, more compact specimens. [4] 
We were entering a region where the effects of salt contamination are a critical issue, where 30-acre salt lakes are common. Ahead of us the Wheat Belt Region spread in huge flat expanses and gently rolling hills of wheat and barley. Western Australia is the largest state in Australia. With a population of 1.8 million, it is three times the size of Texas and one of the least populated regions in our world. Around 1.4 million people live in the cities, the rest are thinly spread in small communities surrounded by huge, isolated farms. A couple of hours out of Perth we took a break at a wide spot in the road called New Norcia. Here we saw a huge Benedictine monastery, with its once hundreds of inhabitants now reduced to 20 resolute monks, determined to keep the facility relevant in today's society. [5] 
The sun was fading when we reached Moora, our first case study in the Wheat Belt Region. Recipient of the 2001 Community of the Year Award, we first met with shire officials who gave us an overview of the area, punctuated by a professionally produced video that promoted that area to businesses looking to relocate. Australians do not have barbecues, they have a "barbie." Or, better yet, you have a "sausage sizzle." The gracious people of Moora hosted a barbie for us out in the country (which is not hard to find in this area) at a combination farm and bed and breakfast. What a wonderful opportunity to get to know the local people. The hospitality displayed the wonderfully open and engaging social aspect of rural Australian culture. Unlike our open grate grills, where juices from the meat flame up to flavor the items being cooked, an Australian barbecue grill is more like a griddle, with its surface slightly tilted to a hole in one end to drain the drippings. At first us Americans were a bit skeptical. One bite and we were sold. The evening ended with a special treat; an authentic Australian desert called pavlova. It is a luscious meringue topped with kiwi and strawberries, named after Anna Pavlova, the ballerina. [6, 7, 8, 9, 10] 
The next day Peter Staubs, the shire CEO took us on a tour of the area. Moora is a community of about 1,800 people. Built on a flood plain, the town floods once every 15 years. In 1999 it faced three floods, which devastated the community. [11] 
One would think after a disaster like this shire would feel defeated and even consider relocation. The opposite occurred. The flood served as a catalyst, bringing the people together. Now over 150 people have taken advantage of leadership training, bringing direction and purpose to the community. Over 80 volunteer social service groups are active in the community. The result is a vision that is clear to all community members. Moora now serves as a regional service center, building in its residents the skills needed for a better quality of life. There are new businesses opening, increased housing for seniors, street beautification projects, a new day care facility, and restored community theater. [12, 13, 14, 15] 
These community assets are what leadership and vision can lead to in small communities. To initially raise funding, they had a music festival which is now an annual event with monies used for community improvements. The community now has • A new resource center combining the school library, community library, and the telecentre, (a multipurpose business support center); • Murals placed throughout the town; • Local hospital and medical facilities; • Three new doctors, unusual for a small Wheat Belt community; • Park area with swimming pool and playground. This is a fine example of having a love affair with your community. As we continued down the road the trees got smaller and the ground more barren. We next stopped at the Doodlie Pub in the thriving town of Doodlankin, population 30 [16] 
This was a fine example of thinking BIG! The Doodlie Pub rivals any first class, big city Australian pub catering to a young, hip, music-savvy crowd. Some of the most popular acts in the country appear at the Doodlie Pub, with people traveling from hundreds of miles to enjoy a weekend of music, camping, and spirits. We next stopped at Bruce Rock, a community of 1,100 people. Operating debt free, the community recently completed an amphitheater, community housing, new parks, and a very welcome swimming facility. Choosing to retain staff rather than bidding out projects, the city maintains its own roads and other construction projects. The town has actually functioned as a subcontractor for state road construction projects. [17, 18] 
They have a recreation center complete with footie (football) field, soccer field, tennis courts, pool, and park that is debt-free. As a community they vision a need and involve the local talent. Their philosophy is if they need it, they will build it. In addition, they encourage local artists including youth to work with the beautiful gardens by adding sculptures. Both Bruce Rock and Moora have won the Tidy Town awards from the State for their progressive attitudes. One of the lessons we took away from this day was to maintain high standards to build your reputation. The last stop of this day was Hyden. The local Lions Club hosted a Barbie for us at our home for the next two days, a resort called Wave Rock overlooking Magic Lake. The landscape was moonscape. The clear blue water was beautiful to look at … and lifeless. The gypsum in the water precludes any aquatic life. The next day we discovered that while the landscape appears largely lifeless, the town is vibrantly alive. [19, 20, 21] 
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