On Thursday evening as Mayor of Central Goldfields Shire I had the great honour of being Master of Ceremonies at the official opening of our transformed iconic Maryborough Railway Station.
In attendance were so many dignitaries, such as the former 47th Premier of Victoria the Hononourable Dr Denis Napthine and his wife Peggy, representing the World Heritage Bid. There were also nearly all of the builders, designers, suppliers and project management teams.
Following a traditional smoking ceremony conducted by Rodney Carter, CEO of Dja Dja Wurrung group Jaara, and the Welcome to Country by Jason Kerr including his fabulous yidaki playing, we then commenced the formal proceedings when Dr Napthine eloquently spoke of the World Heritage Bid, and the benefits it will bring to this region and indeed Central Goldfields Shire.
Projects like this don’t happen without the support of our funding partners and it was a great opportunity to thank the Victorian Government for their investment of $1.8 million, represented by Minister for Regional Development the Honourable Gayle Tierney and Martha Haylett, Member for Ripon.
It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a resident of the Central Goldfields Shire. It wasn’t long ago that we celebrated the opening of our incredible, redeveloped and award-winning, state of the art Gallery, and now our transformed iconic Station.
Both attractions are bookends to showcase our history and draw visitors and locals through the town. We are proud of these new spaces and the opportunities they will bring to our Shire.
Mayor Cr Grace La Vella
